Are screen media the new pacifiers? The role of parenting stress and parental attitudes for children's screen time in early childhood

Screen media are increasingly shaping our everyday lives, including those of young children. Among other reasons, parents might use screen media as a problem-oriented coping strategy to reduce parenting stress levels. Furthermore, parental attitudes towards children's screen media use have been shown to predict screen time in young children. The present study examines the intertwined roles of parenting stress and parental attitudes to children's screen time throughout early childhood. Parents of N = 462 children aged up to 3 years (M = 1.28, SD = 0.61; 50% female) participated in four assessments within 10 months. Parents reported their level of parenting stress, their attitudes toward young children's screen media use, and their child's screen time at each assessment. Across all measurement time points, results indicated that both parenting stress and positive parental attitudes are positively associated with children's screen time. Furthermore, parental attitudes were found to strengthen the link between stress and children's screen time at two of the four measurement time points. Recommendations for children's screen time should consider parental stress and suggest alternative strategies for coping with parenting stress.