Rising Trends in Digital Media Usage Among Young Children and Parental Dependency: Findings from a Dutch Survey

It is common for young children aged between nine months and six years to engage in digital media either alone or with peers, rather than with their parents. A staggering 91 percent of parents also rely on digital media to help their child unwind while they attend to other tasks.

According to the annual Iene Miene Media survey conducted by Network Media Literacy in collaboration with the Trimbos Institute and Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, children in the age group of zero to six years spend approximately 1 hour and 51 minutes on digital media each day. The survey, which involved nine hundred Dutch parents, focused on the topic of 'relaxing with media'.

On average, children spend 1 hour and 39 minutes in front of a screen daily. The remaining 12 minutes are dedicated to listening to media without visuals or making image-free phone calls. While most parents turn to digital media when they need to cook or work, they also resort to it when their child is bored or tired. However, Dr. Anouk Tuijnman from the Trimbos Institute advises against excessive use of digital media in such situations.

“Excessive screen time at a young age can disrupt sleep, hinder language development, and potentially result in physical issues due to prolonged periods of sitting and looking at a screen up close,” explains Tuijnman. Furthermore, she notes that using digital media when experiencing fatigue or negative emotions can cause children to miss out on important learning opportunities. Tuijnman emphasizes the importance of children learning to manage their emotions early on and fostering independence during moments of boredom. Despite this reliance on digital media, children still spend more time on offline activities like playing outside or being read to, averaging 3 hours and 40 minutes per day.