Calming children with electronic devices may harm kids' emotional and behavioral development, a new study finds. This is particularly true for boys, especially those who are more emotionally reactive.

Researchers asked 422 parents how often they relied on electronic devices to calm their preschool-age children over a period of six months. They also asked the parents to complete assessments of their children’s executive functioning and behavior.

The researchers found that children who were frequently calmed with electronic devices were more likely to exhibit emotional dysregulation. This association was strongest in boys with high surgency – a quality characterized by high-intensity pleasure-seeking, high activity levels, low shyness, and impulsivity.

Emotional regulation refers to the ability to understand and manage one’s behavior and feelings in appropriate ways. Most children develop emotional regulation during the preschool years of two to five years of age, coinciding with frontal lobe development. Emotional dysregulation is characterized by heightened impulsivity and sudden changes in mood or feelings.

These findings indicate that calming preschool-age children with electronic devices may have negative effects on emotional and behavioral development. The study’s authors recommended that parents help children develop coping skills that are not reliant upon tech devices.

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