The Impact of Screen Time and Mobile Dependency on Cognition, Socialization and Behaviour Among Early Childhood Students During the Covid Pandemic - Perception of the Parents

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by hdkawk

Digital technology systems have been rapidly adopted for virtual learning, especially after the Covid-19 outbreak, with screen-based devices integrated early into children’s learning. This descriptive study examines how extended screen time and mobile dependency affect early childhood cognition, socialization, and behaviour. Using parent responses from 511 children aged 3–6 across five districts of Kerala, findings show correlations between higher screen time, mobile dependency, alienation tendencies, and behavioural deviations. Age and parental characteristics show significant differences, and mobile dependency mediates the screen time–behaviour link.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Background of digital learning during Covid-19

Prolonged Screen Usage and Dependency

The Impact of Screen Time and Mobile Dependency Cognition, Socialization and Behaviour Among Early Childhood Students During the Covid Parents The Impact of Screen Time and Mobile Dependency on Cognition, Socialization and Behaviour Among Early Childhood Students During the Covid Pandemic-Perception of the Parents Genimon Vadakkemulanjanal Joseph jinuachan@vjim.ac.in Vimal Jyothi Institute of Management and Research, Kerala, India Agnes Thomas M [agnesthomasm100@gmail.com](agnesthomasm100@gmail.com) VJCRS, Vimal Jyothi Institute of Management and Research, Kerala, India Sneha Elizabeth [elizasneha12@gmail.com](elizasneha12@gmail.com) VJCRS, Vimal Jyothi Institute of Management and Research, Kerala, India Stephiya Vargheese [stephiya.vargheese@gmail.com](stephiya.vargheese@gmail.com) VJCRS, Vimal Jyothi Institute of Management and Research, Kerala, India Jebin Thomas [jebin1797@gmail.com](jebin1797@gmail.com) VJCRS, Vimal Jyothi Institute of Management and Research, Kerala, India Abstract Digital technology systems are adopted rapidly throughout the globe for the virtual learning process especially with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital screenbased gadgets are integrated to provide a seamless interactive medium of learning even before the initiation of formal education. Studies on the technology use of younger children are critical as uncontrolled gadget use affects their developmental stages yet these studies are still in the infancy stage. This study analyses the impact of extended use of digital gadgets and mobile dependency on early childhood manifested through their cognition, socialization and behaviour. This descriptive study is based on the random responses of 511 parents about their young children of 3-6 years distributed at five civil districts of Kerala State. From the analysis, it is found that the extended use of digital gadgets influenced young children’s mobile dependency, socialization process, cognition and behaviour patterns . The young children exhibited alienation tendencies and behavioural deviations which are correlated to their screen time. Both male and female reported similar results. Significant differences were observed by the parents with respect to the age of the children and their parental characteristics. Their mobile dependency mediated their extended digital Screen Time to the Behaviour. Significant relation was predicted by extended Screen Time on Behaviour of the students with a partial sequential path through mobile Dependency, Cognition and Socialization. The study sheds light on the urgency of parental care and implementation of a balanced gadget usage system to reduce the detrimental impacts of gadget usage. Key words: Screen Time, Mobile Dependency; Cognition; Socialization; Behaviour, Screen Dependency Disorders G.Vadakkemulanjanal Joseph, A.Thomas M, S.Elizabeth, S.Vargheese & J.Thomas Digital Education Review-Number 41, June 2022 114 The Impact of Screen Time and Mobile Dependency on Cognition, Socialization and Behaviour Among Early Childhood Students During the Covid Pandemic. Perception of the Parents I. Introduction Education systems were normally resistant to rapid changes compared to the contemporary industrial sectors and followed rather a traditional pedagogy throughout the globe until the emergence of the digital technology systems. The innovations in the classroom-based teachinglearning process were limited to the extent of modification of the blackboard to green board and then to the projectors. The emergence of the digital technology systems with the globalization of the millennium demarked with the rapid changes in the education system across the world (Anderson & Subrahmanyam, 2017; Hutton, Dudley, Horowitz-Kraus, DeWitt, & Holland, 2020) . The digital technology systems adopted rapidly throughout the globe for the virtual learning process especially with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital screen-b

FAQs

What does the study investigate about children’s screen use?

The study analyzes how extended use of digital gadgets and mobile dependency influence early childhood cognition, socialization, and behaviour.

How was the study conducted?

It is a descriptive study based on parent responses from 511 children aged 3–6 years across five civil districts of Kerala.

What relationships did the study find between screen time, mobile dependency, and behaviour?

Extended screen time is correlated with mobile dependency, alienation tendencies, and behavioural deviations, and mobile dependency mediates the link between screen time and behaviour.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by hdkawk