Early Childhood Tablet Use Linked To Anger Outbursts In New Study

A new study has found a link between angry outbursts in children and their use of tablets as infants. Researchers from universities in Canada, South Africa, and Brazil found that children who used tablets starting at around 3.5 years old were more likely to have more expressions of anger and frustration than kids who didn't use tablets.

Interestingly, they found that children who had a higher number of incidents of anger and frustration at 4.5 years old were likely to use tablets at a higher rate when they reached 5.5 years old.

"These results suggest that early-childhood tablet use may contribute to a cycle that is deleterious for emotional regulation," the researchers wrote in their study, which was published in JAMA Pediatrics .

The researchers did not learn why tablet use at a young age increases the rate of angry and frustrated outbursts as they grow older. However, they suggested that tablet use could "reduce learning opportunities" and "undermine the development" of strategies used to deal with emotions.

"One reason is that children need to learn to deal with their own negative emotions themselves. They need to go through the process as part of their childhood development, aided by their parents, caregivers, and teachers," wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen told CNN . "If, instead, they are given a tablet, computer, or smartphone in an effort to soothe them, they won't learn to manage these emotions themselves. This could result in problems later in childhood and adulthood, including with anger management."