Electronic media use during COVID-19 pandemic

effects on the behavioral/emotional functioning of Brazilian children

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-8623.2024.1.42362

Keywords:

electronic media, behavioral problems, COVID-19.

Abstract

During COVID-19 pandemic an increase electronic media (e-media) usage time was reported correlated to behavioral problems. This study verified the associations between e-media and behavioral/emotional problems in children in the context of the pandemic. Sample: Parents of 277 children aged 7-11 years old. Instruments: socioeconomic questionnaire; MAF-P and CBCL/6-18. Spearman's correlation analyses showed positive associations between the MAF-P and CBCL/6-18 scales. Adult games were correlated with 12 scales; websites for information/entertainment were associated with 6 scales, gambling online with one scale; electronic games and watching YouTube videos were associated with all 17 scales. In conclusion, overall, the results indicate the need of supervising children’s e-media access considering the number and frequency of use and the elevated number of emotional and behavioral problems found among the evaluated group.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Natália Sant'Anna da Silva, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM), São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Mestre em Distúrbios do Desenvolvimento pela Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM), em São
Paulo, SP, Brasil – bolsa CAPES/PROEX; psicóloga pela mesma instituição. Doutoranda em Ciências do Desenvolvimento Humano na UPM – bolsa CAPES/PROEX.

Lívia Branco Campos , Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM), São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Master in Developmental Disorders from Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM), in São Paulo, SP, Brazil – FAPESP scholarship; psychologist at the same institution. PhD student in Developmental Disorders at UPM – FAPESP scholarship.

 

Marina Monzani da Rocha , Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM), São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

PhD in Sciences – Clinical Psychology from the University of São Paulo (USP), in São Paulo, SP, Brazil; and PhD from the University of Vermont. CNPq scholarship (scientific initiation) and FAPESP (doctorate). Psychologist and researcher at the University of Vermont (PrInt – CAPES). Assistant Professor I of the Postgraduate Program in Developmental Disorders at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM), in São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Clinical psychologist and Advanced Qualification supervisor in Behavioral Analytical Clinic (Paradigma: Center for Behavioral Sciences and Technology).

Maria Cristina Triguero Veloz Teixeira , Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM), São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

PhD in Health from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), in Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; master's degree in Psychology from the same institution; psychologist from the University of Havana, Cuba. CNPq/PQ-1C Productivity Scholarship. General Coordinator of Stricto Sensu Postgraduate Studies at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM), in São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Luiz Renato Rodrigues Carreiro, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM), São Paulo, SP, Brasil

PhD and master in Human Physiology from the University of São Paulo (USP), in São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Psychologist from the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), in Niterói, RJ, Brazil. Adjunct Professor of the Postgraduate Program in Human Development Sciences at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM), in São Paulo, SP, Brazil. CNPq Research Productivity Scholarship – Level 1D.

 

References

AAP Council on Communications and Media, and MBE. (2016). Media use in school-aged children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 138(5), e20162592. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2592

American Psychiatric Association. (2014). Manual Diagnóstico e Estatístico de Transtornos Mentais, DSM-5. Artmed.

American Psychological Association. (2019). Media use in childhood: Evidence-based reccomendations for carigivers. APA. https://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/newsletter/2019/05/media-use-childhood

Associação Brasileira de Empresas de Pesquisa. (2019). Critério de Classificação Econômica Brasil. APEP. https://www.abep.org/criterio-brasil

Achenbach T. M. (2018). Media Activity Form - Parent Report. University of Vermont; Research Center for Children, Youths, and Families.

Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. S. (1978). The classification of child psychopathology: a review and analysis of empirical efforts. Psychological bulletin, 85(6), 1275. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.85.6.1275

Achenbach, T. M., Ivanova, M. Y., Rescorla, L. A., Turner, L. V., & Althoff, R. R. (2016). Internalizing/externalizing problems: Review and recommendations for clinical and research applications. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(8), 647-656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2016.05.012

Achenbach, T. M., Ivanova, M. Y., & Rescorla, L. A. (2017). Empirically based assessment and taxonomy of psychopathology for ages 1½–90+ years: Developmental, multi-informant, and multicultural findings. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 79, 4-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2017.03.006

Achenbach T. M, & Rescorla L. A. (2001). Manual for the ASEBA School-Age Forms and Profiles. University of Vermont; Research Center for Children, Youths, and Families.

Anderson, C. A., Suzuki, K., Swing, E. L., Groves, C. L., Gentile, D. A., Prot, S., Lam, C. P., Sakamoto, A., Horiuchi, Y., Krahé, B., Jelic, M., Liuqing, W., Toma, R., Warburton, W. A., Zhang, X. M., Tajima, S., & Petrescu, P. (2017). Media violence and other aggression risk factors in seven nations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(7), 986-998. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167217703064

Bilgrami, Z., Mclaughlin, L., Milanaik, R., & Adesman, A. (2017). Health implications of new-age technologies: a systematic review. Minerva pediatrica, 69(4), 348-367. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0026-4946.17.04937-4

Boers, E., Afzali, M. H., Newton, N., & Conrod, P. (2019). Association of screen time and depression in adolescence. JAMA pediatrics, 173(9), 853-859. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1759

Bordin, I. A., Rocha, M. M., Paula, C. S., Teixeira, M. C. T. V., Achenbach, T. M., Rescorla, L. A., Silvares, E. F. M. (2013). Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Youth SelfReport (YSR) and Teacher’s Report Form (TRF): an overview of the development of the original and Brazilian versions Cad. Saúde Pública, Rio de Janeiro, 29(1):13-28. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2013000100004

Chauhan, S. (2017). A meta-analysis of the impact of technology on learning effectiveness of elementary students. Computers & Education, 105, 14-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.11.005

Chen, F., Zheng, D., Liu, J., Gong, Y., Guan, Z., & Lou, D. (2020). Depression and anxiety among adolescents during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study. Brain, behavior, and immunity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.061

Clark, H., Coll-Seck, A. M., Banerjee, A., Peterson, S., Dalglish, S. L., Ameratunga, S., Balabanova, D., Bhan, M. K., Bhutta, Z. A., Borrazzo, J., Claesson, M., Doherty, T., El-Jardali, F., George, A. S., Gichaga, A., Gram, L., Hipgrave, D. B., Kwamie, A., Meng, O., Mercer, R., Narain, S., &

Costello, A. (2020). A future for the world's children? A WHO–UNICEF–Lancet Commission. The Lancet, 395(10224), 605-658. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32540-1

Courtney, D., Watson, P., Battaglia, M., Mulsant, B. H., & Szatmari, P. (2020). COVID-19 impacts on child and youth anxiety and depression: challenges and opportunities. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 65(10), 688-691. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743720935646

Dennison-Farris, M., & Dickens, R. D. (2017). Obesogenic behaviors, self-efficacy, and depressive symptoms in American Indian children. American Indian and Alaska native mental health research (Online), 24(2), 18-39. https://doi.org/10.5820/aian.2402.2017.18

Domingues‐Montanari, S. (2017). Clinical and psychological effects of excessive screen time on children. Journal of paediatrics and child health, 53(4), 333-338. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.13462

Duan, L., Shao, X., Wang, Y., Huang, Y., Miao, J., Yang, X., & Zhu, G. (2020). An investigation of mental health status of children and adolescents in china during the outbreak of COVID-19. Journal of affective disorders, 275, 112-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.06.029

Fors, P. Q., & Barch, D. M. (2019). Differential relationships of child anxiety and depression to child report and parent report of electronic media use. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 50(6):907-917. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-019-00892-7

Jiao, W. Y., Wang, L. N., Liu, J., Fang, S. F., Jiao, F. Y., Pettoello-Mantovani, M., & Somekh, E. (2020). Behavioral and emotional disorders in children during the COVID-19 epidemic. The journal of Pediatrics, 221, 264-266.e1. https://doi.org/264.10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.03.013

Lemola, S., Perkinson-Gloor, N., Brand, S., Dewald-Kaufmann, J. F., & Grob, A. (2015). Adolescents’ electronic media use at night, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms in the smartphone age. Journal of youth and adolescence, 44(2), 405-418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0176-x

Milani, L., Camisasca, E., Ionio, C., Miragoli, S., & Di Blasio, P. (2020). Video games use in childhood and adolescence: Social phobia and differential susceptibility to media effects. Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 25(2), 456-470. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104519882754

Mundy, L. K., Canterford, L., Olds, T., Allen, N. B., & Patton, G. C. (2017). The association between electronic media and emotional and behavioral problems in late childhood. Academic pediatrics, 17(6), 620-624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.12.014

Nagata, J. M., Abdel Magid, H. S., & Pettee Gabriel, K. (2020). Screen time for children and adolescents during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Obesity, 28(9), 1582-1583. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22917

Nakamura, H., Ohara, K., Kouda, K., Fujita, Y., Mase, T., Miyawaki, C., ... & Ishikawa, T. (2012). Combined influence of media use on subjective health in elementary school children in Japan: a population-based study. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-432

Orgilés, M., Morales, A., Delvecchio, E., Mazzeschi, C., & Espada, J. P. (2020). Immediate psychological effects of the COVID-19 quarantine in youth from Italy and Spain. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 2986. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.579038

Oswald, T. K., Rumbold, A. R., Kedzior, S. G., & Moore, V. M. (2020). Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review. PloS one, 15(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245327

Pisano, L., Galimi, D., & Cerniglia, L. (2020). A qualitative report on exploratory data on the possible emotional/behavioral correlates of Covid-19 lockdown in 4-10 years children in Italy. PsyArXiv Preprint. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/stwbn

Rocha, M. M., Rescorla, L. A., Emerich, D. R., Silvares, E. F. M., Borsa, J. C., Araújo, L. G., & Assis, S. G. (2013). Behavioural/emotional problems in Brazilian children: findings from parents’ reports on the Child Behavior Checklist. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 22(4), 329-338. https://doi.org/10.1017/s2045796012000637

Rollè, L., Gullotta, G., Trombetta, T., Curti, L., Gerino, E., Brustia, P., Caldarera, A. M. (2019). Father Involvement and Cognitive Development in Early and Middle Childhood: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 25;10:2405. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02405

Saurabh, K., & Ranjan, S. (2020). Compliance and psychological impact of quarantine in children and adolescents due to Covid-19 pandemic. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 87, 532-536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-020-03347-3

Singh, S., Roy, D., Sinha, K., Parveen S., Sharma G., & Joshi G. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on mental health of children and adolescents: A narrative review with recommendations. Psychiatry Research, 293, 112429. https://doi.org/113429.10.1016/j.psychres

Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. (2020). Manual de Orientação - Grupo de Trabalho Saúde na Era Digital. https://www.sbp.com.br/fileadmin/user_upload/_22246c-ManOrient_-__MenosTelas__MaisSaude.pdf

Spinelli, M., Lionetti, F., Pastore, M., & Fasolo, M. (2020). Parents' stress and children's psychological problems in families facing the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1713. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01713

Welsh, J., Strazdins, L., Ford, L., Friel, S., O'Rourke, K., Carbone, S., & Carlon, L. (2015). Promoting equity in the mental wellbeing of children and young people: a scoping review Health Promot Int., 30, Suppl 2, ii36-76. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dav053

Wiederhold, B. K. (2020). Children's Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Boundaries and Etiquette. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 23(6), 359-360. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2020.29185.bkw

Xiang, M., Zhang, Z., & Kuwahara, K. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents' lifestyle behavior larger than expected. Progress in cardiovascular diseases, 63(4): 531-532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2020.04.013

Zhang, J., Shuai, L., Yu, H., Wang, Z., Qiu, M., Lu, L., Cao, X., Xia, W., Wang, Y., & Chen, R. (2020). Acute stress, behavioural symptoms, and mood states among school-age children with attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder during the COVID-19 outbreak. Asian journal of psychiatry, 51, 102077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102077

Wang, C., Pan, R., Wan, X., Tan, Y., Xu, L., Ho, C. S., & Ho, R. C. (2020). Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic among the general population in China. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(5), 1729. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051729

Downloads

Published

2024-02-16

How to Cite

Sant’Anna da Silva, N., Branco Campos , L., Monzani da Rocha , M., Triguero Veloz Teixeira , M. C., & Rodrigues Carreiro, L. R. (2024). Electronic media use during COVID-19 pandemic: effects on the behavioral/emotional functioning of Brazilian children. Psico, 55(1), e42362. https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-8623.2024.1.42362

Issue

Vol. 55 No. 1 (2024): Single Volume - Continuous flow

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Psico

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright

The submission of originals to Psico implies the transfer by the authors of the right for publication. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication. If the authors wish to include the same data into another publication, they must cite Psico as the site of original publication.

Creative Commons License

Except where otherwise specified, material published in this journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, which allows unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is correctly cited.

Most read articles by the same author(s)