Peer-reviewed article
Screen exposure and shared book reading: evidence from a random intercept cross-lagged panel model
Xinjie Wang, Danlei Chen, Dongchun Li ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study used national longitudinal data from Taiwan on 2,164 children. Caregivers reported how much screen time children had each day and how often they shared books each week at 36, 48 and 60 months. The authors tested how the two behaviours relate to each other over time. They found that more shared reading than usual was followed by less screen time, and more screen time than usual was followed by less shared reading. The authors suggest that family programmes could address both behaviours together.
Key points
- Data came from the Kids in Taiwan (KIT) national longitudinal study, covering 2,164 children.
- Both screen exposure and shared book reading were stable across the three waves.
- Higher-than-usual shared reading predicted lower later screen exposure.
- Higher-than-usual screen exposure predicted lower later shared reading.
- The authors conclude the two behaviours are reciprocally related and that family-based interventions may benefit from addressing both.
Limitations
Only the abstract is available, so effect sizes, measurement details and how the sample was handled are not known. Both behaviours were reported by caregivers, the design shows associations rather than proven cause and effect, and the findings concern children in Taiwan.
Abstract
Abstract With the increased accessibility and use of digital media in the 21st century, screen exposure has become a common part of family life for young children, like shared book reading. As two important activities in children’s daily lives, screen exposure and shared book reading may both play important roles in early childhood, yet their longitudinal relationship remains unclear. This study included data from the Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development and Care (KIT) on 2,164 children. Caregivers reported children’s daily screen exposure and weekly shared book reading at 36, 48, and 60 months. A Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) was used to examine the bidirectional longitudinal associations between screen exposure and shared book reading. Results showed that both screen exposure and shared book reading were stable across waves. Higher-than-usual shared reading predicted lower subsequent screen exposure, whereas higher-than-usual screen exposure predicted lower subsequent shared reading. These findings indicate that screen exposure and shared book reading are reciprocally related over time among Chinese children and suggest that family-based interventions may benefit from addressing both behaviors together.