Living with Screens: Screen Time, Family Context, and Executive Function in Early Childhood

A growing body of research highlights the role of screen exposure in the development of executive function in early childhood, particularly within family and home contexts. While previous studies have documented associations between screen time and executive functioning, emerging evidence suggests that the effects of screens may be shaped by broader contextual factors rather than screen duration alone. To address this issue, the present cross-sectional study examined the relationships between children’s executive function skills, screen time patterns and socioeconomic indicators. The participants were 238 preschool-aged children and their parents, who were recruited from early childhood education settings serving families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Executive function skills were assessed using parental reports, and screen exposure was examined in terms of both weekly and daily screen time. The findings showed that as weekly and daily screen time increased, children's average executive function scores decreased. Accordingly, children who spent 6–7 days per week in front of screens were found to have the lowest executive function scores. In contrast, children with less than two hours of screen time per day were found to have significantly higher executive function scores compared to children who spent longer periods in front of screens. The study also revealed that parental education level had no significant effect on children's executive function skills. This study, which examined the role of screen time in executive function development within a family context, contributes to understanding individual differences in executive function skills during early childhood.