A bibliometric analysis of research on child development and digital addiction

This bibliometric analysis examined 223 articles on digital addiction and child development indexed in the Web of Science database. The first study was published in 2013, but a noticeable increase in publications has occurred only recently, with an annual average of 77 articles until 2025. The literature exhibits a balanced and collaborative production structure, with Turkey emerging as the most productive country (118 publications), followed by the United States (27) and China (20). Akdeniz University was the most productive institution with seven publications. Research predominantly clusters within mental health, psychology, and education disciplines, with psychiatry (13.90%) and psychology (13.45%) forming the core. Bibliographic coupling analysis revealed five interrelated clusters, indicating thematic differentiation anchored in a shared citation base. Keyword analysis identified five clusters, with dominant themes including addiction-related outcomes, various forms of digital addiction in children, mental health, developmental processes, and age-based categorizations. The study highlights the need for integrative research approaches and international collaboration to address gaps in the literature. Limitations include the use of a single database and the restricted depth of content analysis. Future research should incorporate different databases, conduct longitudinal and multidisciplinary studies, and evaluate the effectiveness of intervention and preventive programs.