Screen exposure and shared book reading: evidence from a random intercept cross-lagged panel model

With the increased accessibility and use of digital media in the 21st century, screen exposure has become a common part of family life for young children, like shared book reading. As two important activities in children’s daily lives, screen exposure and shared book reading may both play important roles in early childhood, yet their longitudinal relationship remains unclear. This study included data from the Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development and Care (KIT) on 2,164 children. Caregivers reported children’s daily screen exposure and weekly shared book reading at 36, 48, and 60 months. A Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) was used to examine the bidirectional longitudinal associations between screen exposure and shared book reading. Results showed that both screen exposure and shared book reading were stable across waves. Higher-than-usual shared reading predicted lower subsequent screen exposure, whereas higher-than-usual screen exposure predicted lower subsequent shared reading. These findings indicate that screen exposure and shared book reading are reciprocally related over time among Chinese children and suggest that family-based interventions may benefit from addressing both behaviors together.