The Association Between Screen Time Exposure and Autism Spectrum Disorder-Like Symptoms in Children

Research problemAdvances in technology have ensured its inevitable integration in our life. Children, being at a vulnerable age period of development, are spending more time on electronic devices. Some studies reported negative effects on sleep, physical health such as obesity and vision problems, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2021-10, Vol.13 (10), p.e18787-e18787
Main Authors: Alrahili, Nader, Almarshad, Najla A, Alturki, Reham Y, Alothaim, Jamal S, Altameem, Roba Mohsin, Alghufaili, Mohammed A, Alghamdi, Abdulmajeed A, Alageel, Asem A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Autism
Caregivers
Cellular telephones
Children & youth
Communication
Education
Families & family life
Language
Pediatrics
Preschool children
Psychiatry
Questionnaires
Screen time
Social skills
Statistical analysis
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Summary:Research problemAdvances in technology have ensured its inevitable integration in our life. Children, being at a vulnerable age period of development, are spending more time on electronic devices. Some studies reported negative effects on sleep, physical health such as obesity and vision problems, and behavioral changes such as aggressive behavior with exposure to violent media content.Research significanceWe will study the effect of using electronic devices on communication skills in children in Saudi Arabia. Our findings can be used to raise awareness on this matter.Research objectivesThe aim of our study is to examine the association between screen time and social communication skills among children of four years to six years of age in Saudi Arabia.Research methodologyA cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the relationship between social skills development and screen time by using a validated Arabic version of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ). The sample in this study consists of 308 children from four to six years of age.Research resultsThe results showed that the hours spent using the electronic device were significantly associated with having an SCQ score ≥ 15 (P < 0.05). A high SCQ score was prevalent in 19.7% (n = 31) of children who spent >3 hours using an electronic device compared to 10.2% (n = 5) and 7.84% (n = 8) of children who spent an hour or
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.18787