Digital Media Use and Language Development in Early Childhood

Abstract

The pervasiveness of digital media and the importance of language skills underscore a pressing need to understand the role of media in language development. Historically, research has focused on the quantity of children’s media use but there has been a recent focus on content (i.e., the kinds of media that children use), context (i.e., who children use media with), and interactivity (i.e., whether children watch content passively or can respond contingently) as well as technoference (i.e., adult technology use around children). Meta-analyses suggest that while associations between media quantity and early language skills are either negative or null, both educational content (intending to convey knowledge) and co-use (use with others) are often associated with stronger skills, whereas adult technology use can disrupt parent–child interactions. Some researchers have also argued that interactive media that can respond contingently to children may support language, although more research is needed. Here, we focus on these aspects of media use and their associations with children’s language development in early childhood (0–6 years). We review the current literature, propose important directions for future research, and provide recommendations for researchers in this area and for various stakeholder groups.