Relation between executive functions and screen time exposure in under 6 year-olds: A meta-analysis

Some previous research works have reported potential benefits of screen media use in children aged under 6 years, and others have evidenced that screen media use might be particularly detrimental. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide the first meta-analytic synthesis of existing research on the relation between overall screen time use and EFs. To address this issue, the current meta-analysis aimed to review the relations between overall screen time and EF in infants, toddlers and preschoolers. A systematic search was done on Web of Science and EBSCO to identify the eligible studies published until January 2023. Fifteen manuscripts with 6922 participants aged 0–6 years were included, and yielded 44 effect sizes. Three-level models were carried out, and the following study characteristics were tested as potential moderators: mean age, percentage of females, EF type, and whether exposure was active or passive. There was no statistically significant association in the relation between overall time use and EF or in the chosen moderators. Nevertheless, the study highlights the need to consider other contextual-related and development-related factors to determine the overall screen time use effect on EF in children.