{"id":6141,"date":"2026-01-02T11:02:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T11:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centrepsicologiajaumeprimer.com\/pantalles-i-regulacio-emocional-infants\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T19:38:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T19:38:39","slug":"screens-and-emotional-regulation-in-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centrepsicologiajaumeprimer.com\/en\/screens-and-emotional-regulation-in-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Clinical and scientific reflections for a more conscious digital upbringing"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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If you are a mother or father, it is very likely that this scene seems familiar to you: your son or daughter is tired, frustrated or angry\u2026 and the screen appears as the quick solution. It works. Silence arrives. But then doubt remains.<\/em><\/p>

In my practice, this is one of the concerns that appears most often. Committed, present families who do the best they can in a world that has changed much faster than we have been taught to manage. And I want to say it clearly from the beginning:\u00a0it’s not your fault<\/strong>. Raising children in the digital age is a new, complex, and emotionally demanding challenge.<\/em><\/p>

This article stems from my clinical experience, but above all from science. Current research shows that screen use in childhood is prospectively associated with difficulties in behavioral and emotional regulation, especially when it interferes with the development of\u00a0executive function<\/strong>, a key system for self-regulation of behavior and emotions (McHarg et al., 2020<\/a>; Yang et al., 2022<\/a>). Today we know that the relationship between screens, behavior, and emotional health\u00a0is not simple or direct<\/strong>. The question is no longer just how much time, but\u00a0how, for what, and in what emotional moment<\/strong>\u00a0children use technology.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1. The \u201cdigital pacifier\u201d: when calming does not mean teaching to regulate<\/h2>

Handing a screen to an upset child is understandable. We’ve all done it. But research shows us an uncomfortable reality: when we use screens as an external emotional regulator habitually, we are reducing key opportunities for emotional learning.<\/p>

Studies on\u00a0Parental Digital Emotional Regulation (PDER)<\/strong>\u00a0show that frequent use of screens to calm children predicts, in the medium term, more expression of anger and less self-control, as well as a bidirectional relationship between child dysregulation and greater parental screen use (Radesky et al., 2022<\/a>). From a neuropsychological point of view, this is especially relevant: executive function \u2014inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory\u2014\u00a0develops through practice<\/strong>, especially in situations of sustained frustration with the emotional support of an adult. When the screen replaces this process, the brain does not train its own self-regulation mechanisms. It’s not about never using a screen, but about\u00a0not turning it into the only response to discomfort<\/strong>.<\/p>

2. Not all screens are the same (and this is key)<\/h2>

One of the ideas I try to convey most to families is this: it’s not the same to watch, play, create, or constantly compare oneself<\/strong>.<\/p>

The research is clear:<\/p>