JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital media exposure is nearly universal by preschool years. However, little is known about timing of first exposure to different devices and associated factors.

Objective:

This study examined age at first exposure to multiple digital devices and investigated sociodemographic, family, and behavioral factors associated with earlier exposure in preschool-age children. We hypothesized that timing of exposure would vary according to device-specific family and parental factors.

Methods:

Cross-sectional data from 892 Portuguese children aged 2-6 years. Parents reported children’s age at first exposure to television, videogame consoles, computers, tablets, and smartphones. Children not yet exposed were treated as censored observations. Kaplan-Meier analyses estimated median age at first exposure, and Cox proportional hazards models examined associations with child sex, parental education, parental screen time, and presence of older siblings.

Results:

Exposure to digital devices was nearly universal (99.7%), with television being the most common. The median age at first exposure to any device was 12 months, with over half of children exposed by this age. Timing of exposure varied across devices, with earlier exposure for television and smartphones; later exposure for computers and videogames. Determinants differed by device. Earlier videogame exposure was associated with being male and having older siblings; parental screen time was associated with earlier use of computers and tablets. Smartphone exposure was associated with higher paternal education. No consistent factors were observed for television.

Conclusions:

Early digital exposure is widespread, occurs during infancy, and its determinants vary by device, suggesting that early exposure is not uniform behavior. Clinical Trial: NA