Screen Use Habits, Daily Activities, and Development in Young Children

This project focuses on children aged 3 to 5 years and aims to better understand how different patterns of screen use—such as when screens are used, for how long, the type of content accessed, and whether screens are used alone or with others—fit into children’s daily routines and influence their developmental outcomes. The findings from this study will help inform future screen use guidance and practical resources for families with young children.

Project Aims

• Examine young children’s screen use patterns.
• Examine how children’s different screen use patterns related to their sleep, physical activity, and development outcomes.

Project Design

There are four parts to this study.

• Part 1: Parents or carers will complete a 10-minute online survey about their child’s development.

• Part 2: Parents or carers will track their child’s screen use over a week using a web-based diary. Completing the diary takes approximately 20 minutes per day.

• Part 3: During the same week, the child will wear a wristband monitor to measure physical activity and sleep.

• Part 4: With a parent or carer present, the child will participate in a fun, game-like task via Zoom to assess cognitive skills. This activity takes about 5 minutes.

Call for Participants

We are seeking ACODA families with:

• a child aged 3-5 years
• internet access at home

Participating families will receive a $50 gift card and a personalised summary report about their child’s screen use, sleep, and movement.