The growth of maternal technoference across early childhood and associations with child problematic media use

How does maternal technoference change across early childhood, and how might these changes relate to children's digital behaviors? This 7-year longitudinal study (2017-2024) followed 500 U.S. mothers (Mage = 30.34 at Wave 1; 75.7% White) and their children (6 months to 6.5 years; 47% female) to examine growth in maternal technoference and its association with children's problematic media use (PMU), using maternal questionnaire reports. Latent growth curve analyses showed a slight overall increase in maternal technoference across early childhood (S = 0.02, p < .001). Higher initial technoference was linked to greater PMU at age 6.5 (β = 0.48, p < .001). Findings highlight how early media parenting patterns may shape children's long-term digital behaviors.