TITLE:
Early Screen Use and Psychomotor Development: The Role of Family Practices in Early Intervention Contexts
AUTHORS:
Sara Malo-Cerrato, Ester Pla-Colomer, Rafael Miranda-Ayala, Olga Casas-Masjoan, Carme Godayol-Lafont, Rosa Galceran-Estrabau, Maria Carme Trasserra-Campàs
KEYWORDS:
Early Childhood, Early Intervention, Screen Use, Parental Mediation, Psychomotor Development, Behaviour
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.17 No.5,
May
27,
2026
ABSTRACT: Screen use has become increasingly embedded in early childhood, raising concerns about its implications for developmental processes, particularly in applied early intervention contexts. This study analyses the associations between screen use and the psychomotor development of children aged 16 to 48 months in five Child Development and Early Care Centres (CDECC) in Catalonia, Spain. The sample includes 164 children (M = 30.82 months; 68.3% boys). Families completed a questionnaire on children’s and parents’ screen use, including reasons and daily contexts of exposure, and children’s development and behaviour were assessed using the CBCL and BDI. The results confirmed that more hours of screen exposure were associated with increased developmental risk in personal-social functioning, expressive language, fine motor skills and the total scale score, as well as increased aggressiveness. Parental screens use significantly predicted children’s screen exposure, highlighting the role of family modelling and contextual practices. In addition, parental reasons and specific situational contexts of screen use showed stronger predictive value for developmental and behavioural difficulties than screen time alone. These findings suggest that early developmental outcomes are shaped not only by the amount of screen exposure, but also by the relational and contextual conditions in which screens are used. Implications are discussed for applied developmental research and for early intervention professionals supporting families in the development of age-appropriate and interaction-focused media practices during early childhood.