Screen Time and Anger in Toddlers

Published in 2024 in *JAMA Pediatrics*, a study by Caroline Fitzpatrick and her team at the University of Sherbrooke shows a significant correlation between aggression and tablet use. Children who used tablets more frequently at age 3.5 exhibited greater frustration and anger at age 4.5. The reverse was also true: those who displayed more anger at age 4.5 saw their tablet use increase by age 5.5.

It’s a snowball effect: more screen time, more anger; more anger, more screen time. The parents we meet at CERC often describe this cycle to us: screen use among young children comes up in almost every meeting.

Correlation does not imply causation

First point: Correlation does not imply causation. The link between tablet use and anger is bidirectional, but we cannot say that one causes the other. A third factor could explain both. Children with ADHD are more impulsive in how they express their anger.

They are also more likely to develop a screen addiction, and these children’s relationship with video games can more easily spiral into excess. That is why a thorough ADHD evaluation often changes how a behavior is interpreted.

Children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged environments exhibit more externalizing problems, such as tantrums; they are exposed to screens more frequently and have fewer opportunities for cognitive stimulation. Two possible underlying causes behind the link between screen time and anger.

"Screen time" vs. "Green time"

The 0-5 age range remains critical for children's development. In young children, the brain rapidly forms connections related to motor skills and speech, which makes toddlers vulnerable to excessive screen time.

A 2020 literature review reports that, among children aged 5 and under, prolonged screen time may be associated with poorer cognitive and language development, reduced persistence in effort, poorer self-control, more behavioral difficulties, and poorer social skills.

The same journal compares “screen time” and “green time”: time spent in front of a screen on one hand, and time spent in nature on the other. It is this ratio that is said to have become unbalanced. Time spent outdoors acts as a protective factor, even for children who are heavily exposed to screens.

Real toys play a similar role. By playing with real toys, children become proactive and invent their own scenarios. Screens and virtual games impose a set of imaginary scenarios; toys force children to create their own. The difference is enormous. These scenarios stimulate learning and help children manage their emotions when they turn off the screen.

Waking Up from a Dream

Tablets, smartphones, and cartoon apps all provide access to the same imaginary world. A young child who enters this world may become so engrossed that they lose awareness of their surroundings. For a child who believes that Mickey Mouse and Cinderella really exist, this world becomes just as real as their own—except that it’s much more wonderful.

You’ll understand that waking up from it feels like coming out of a pleasant dream only to face a Monday morning. You know that feeling of disappointment. That’s what your child experiences when he has to leave his teddy bears behind to eat broccoli or have his hair washed. It’s a rude awakening. And the tantrum that follows says nothing about how you raise your child.

The Development of Social and Emotional Skills in Children

In addition to learning to walk and talk, preschoolers learn to interact with others. These are their social and emotional skills. CASEL identifies five of them:

• Self-awareness: recognizing one's emotions, thoughts, and values, and how they influence one's behavior
• Self-management: controlling one's emotions and behaviors, managing stress, curbing impulsivity, and motivating oneself
• Awareness of others: putting oneself in another's shoes, showing empathy, understanding social norms
• Interpersonal skills: building healthy relationships, communicating, listening, cooperating, and resolving conflicts
• Responsible Decision-Making: Making Constructive Choices and Assessing the Consequences of One's Actions

These skills develop through interactions with other children, parents, and significant adults—such as grandparents, teachers, educators, and coaches—until adulthood. When children use screens, those minutes are taken away from these interactions and, therefore, from learning opportunities. A child with fewer coping skills is more vulnerable to uncontrolled reactions, and thechild’s irritability quickly becomes a burden, both at home and at daycare.

Recommendations

Using screens to calm a tantrum or get through a difficult meal—it happens in every family. Here are some guidelines for healthy development. The Government of Quebec has compiled its guidelines and advice for parents onuse of screens by young people. These guidelines focus on recreational screen time, excluding academic tasks:

• Under 2 years old: no screen time
• Children ages 2 to 5: less than one hour a day in front of a screen
• Ages 6 to 12: a maximum of two hours per day, with parental supervision and a focus on educational content; screens at home should be in common areas rather than in the bedroom
• Ages 13 to 19: No specific recommendations. My personal recommendation: Make sure to maintain a balance between study time, sleep, physical activity, face-to-face social interaction, and screen time. If one of these areas becomes excessive, set boundaries and restore balance.

The same page offers two tips. Reducing screen time during meals frees up attention and time for the child. And parents’ screen use can serve as an inspiring model: an adult who adjusts their own habits sets a concrete example. It’s an option, never an obligation.

In addition, there are five concrete steps:

1. Anticipate transitions: When the alarm goes off, we all want “just 5 more minutes.” Give a five-minute heads-up, and pause the game to let them know. The pause briefly pulls them out of their fantasy world
2. Time spent outdoors, especially in nature: it balances out the time spent in front of screens. Find the parks, forests, and streams near you, and visit them often
3. Physical activity: It supports the neural networks involved in attention, stress management, and anger management. Building a snowman, taking the dog for a walk, or jumping in the leaves count just as much as organized sports.
4. Real, stimulating toys: Playing with tangible objects, rather than virtual games, promotes cognitive, social, and emotional development
5. Social situations: preschool, day camp, soccer. But also the grocery store, neighborhood parties, or having friends over

For more information, see the Canadian Pediatric Society's resources on digital media and screen time, as well as the work of theObservatoire des tout-petits on early childhood in Quebec. And if tantrums persist, if defiant behavior becomes entrenched, or if learning disabilities develop, a professional assessment can help clarify the situation. Our neuropsychology clinic has been supporting families since 2003. Contact us to discuss this further.

References cited in this text :

• Fitzpatrick, C., Pan, P. M., Lemieux, A., Harvey, E., Rocha, F. A., & Garon-Carrier, G. (2024). Early-Childhood Tablet Use and Outbursts of Anger. JAMA Pediatrics, e242511. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.2511
• Oswald, T. K., Rumbold, A. R., Kedzior, S. G. E., & Moore, V. M. (2020). Psychological impacts of "screen time" and "green time" for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review. PLoS ONE, 15 (9), e0237725. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237725
• Gavrilova, M., & Veraksa, N. (2024). It is not executive function skills but play with real toys that prevents screen time tantrums in children. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1384424. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384424
• https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/
• https://www.quebec.ca/sante/conseils-et-prevention/saines-habitudes-de-vie/utilisation-saine-des-ecrans-chez-les-jeunes

Text written by Dr. Benoît Hammarrenger, Ph.D., neuropsychologist, author, speaker, and director of the CERC

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