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Title of the Study:

The Effects of Screen Time on Children’s Social Skills; A Descriptive Analysis

A Research Proposal Submitted to

the Senior High School Faculty of

Ligao National High School

ACADEMIC TRACK

GENERAL ACADEMIC STRAND

JANELLE LAZARTE

ANALYN PERILLO

DEAN REVIDAD

ALFRED SATURNINO

JHUN TOLARBA
JOMAR PRELLIGERA

JAYLORD GAWIRAN

March 2023-2024

Introduction

TABLE OF CONTENT
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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Screen time in young children is discouraged because of its negative effects on their

development. However, excessive screen media use has been rising, particularly during

the global pandemic when stay-at-home mandates were placed on young children in

several countries. This study documents potential developmental effects of excessive

screen media use.

Screen time is becoming increasingly common in daily life. Early and excessive screen

use has raised growing concerns for children's neuropsychological development. The

purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between exposure to screen time in

early life and the presence of autistic-like behaviours among preschool children.

Participants were 24 to 36 month old Filipino children recruited through non-probable

convenience sampling from August to October 2021. Regression analyses were

performed to test the association between screen time and changes in scaled scores for

skills and behaviours determined from the Adaptive Behavior Scale and to identify

factors associated with increased screen media use.

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Screen time can impact children's language development, which plays a vital role in their

social interactions. Studies have identified a potential link between excessive screen time

and delayed language acquisition, affecting children's ability to effectively communicate

and engage with others, both verbally and non-verbally.

Children's heavy reliance on screen media has raised serious public health issues since it

might harm their cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional growth. This study examines

the effects of screen time on many developmental domains and covers management and

limitation techniques for kids' screen usage. Screens can improve education and learning:

however, too much time spent in front of a screen and multitasking with other media has

been related to worse executive functioning and academic performance. As screen time

reduces the amount and quality of interactions between children and their caregivers, it

can also have an impact on language development. Contextual elements like co-viewing

and topic appropriateness are key in determining how language development is impacted.

Additionally, excessive screen usage has detrimental effects on social and emotional

growth, including a rise in the likelihood of obesity, sleep disorders, and mental health

conditions including depression and anxiety. Setting boundaries, utilizing parental

controls, and demonstrating good screen behaviour are all techniques that parents may

use to manage children's screen usage. We con reduce the possible negative impacts of
excessive screen time and promote children's healthy development and well-being by

increasing knowledge and encouraging alternative activities that stimulate development.

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Statement of the Problem

This study aims to assess the effect of screen time on social skills of preschool.

Specifically it seeks to answer the following questions.

1. What is the impact of too much screen time to children?

2. What are the social and emotional costs of Technology and how does amount of screen

time affect the child's brain?

3. What recommendations can be made in order to address this concern

Scope and Delimitation

Excessive screen media usage in students can have both positive and negative impacts on

their development. Regarding cognitive development, screens have the potential to

enhance education and learning. However, studies have shown that excessive screen time
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and media multitasking can negatively affect executive functioning, sensorimotor

development, and academic outcomes.

Screen exposure has been associated with lower cognitive abilities and academic

performance in later years. Contextual factors such as co-viewing and appropriateness of

content play a role in determining the impact on language development. Excessive screen

usage can also lead to problems in social-emotional development, including obesity, sleep

disturbances, depression, and anxiety. It can impair emotional comprehension, promote

aggressive behaviour, and hinder social and emotional competence.

Significant of the Study

Parents can benefit from this research by gaining a better understanding of how screen

time affects their children's social development. It can help them make informed

decisions about setting screen time limits, selecting appropriate digital content, and

encouraging a balance between screen time and other activities that promote social

interaction.
Children themselves can benefit from this research by becoming aware of the potential

impacts of excessive screen time on their social skills. It can empower them to make

choices that foster healthy digital habits, such as engaging in more face-to-face

interactions, participating in extracurricular activities, and developing strong

communication skills.

Teachers can use the findings of this research to guide their classroom practices and

incorporate instructional strategies that address potential challenges related to screen

time. They can design activities that encourage collaborative learning, effective

communication, and relationship building to enhance students' social skills.

Schools can consider integrating guidelines and policies based on research findings into

their curriculum and digital technology practices. This can involute implementing

routines that balance screen time with other activities, offering digital citizenship

programs to teach responsible technology use, and providing resources for parents and

educators on promoting healthy screen habits.

Future Researchers: This research can serve as a foundation for future studies on the

complex relationship between screen time and children's social skills. It can guide

researchers in exploring specific factors or variables that influence social development

and devising innovative interventions that mitigate any negative impacts of screen time.
Social skills in preschool: Social skills are the skills we use everyday to interact and

communicate with others.

Social media user: This study found that limiting social media use to 30 minutes per day

lead to a "significant improvement in well-being."

Review of Related Literature

Since the advent of the pandemic, students exposed to gadgets were even

more dependent than ever before. This study aims to analyse tertiary students' gadget

screen time usage during the pandemic. The Proponent used a descriptive research via

online survey as the primary data gathering tool. The study subjected the gathered data to

statistical treatment. Results show that students responded that it is "important" and they

"agree" to reduce gadget screen time use. The students also "agree" on the context of

expectations about screen time use, and they "often" observe a family model of screen

time use in their households. Furthermore, significant differences were found in the

attitude, self-efficacy, expectations, and family model of screen time use when grouped

according to demographic profile. Finally, the proponent shared some implications at the

end of the study.

Screen time in young children is discouraged because of its negative effects on their

development. However, excessive screen media use has been rising, particularly during

the global pandemic when stay-at-home mandates were placed on young children in

several countries. This study documents potential developmental effects of excessive

screen media

use. With the advancement of technology, young generations are becoming more

dependent on them. Globally, children's screen time is increasing and this issue is of ten

interrelated with students' academic productivity. Screen time activity refers to activities

done in front of a screen. Academic productivity, on the other hand, is simply the state of

efficiency. In this study, a descriptive research design and a quantitative approach were

used to evaluate the relationship between screen time activity and students academic

productivity. Further, a Liker Scale was used to collect data from 200 respondents of

elementary school at Tagobiao Elementary School. The targeted segment was provided

with questionnaires. Moreover, results indicate that there is no relationship between

screen time activity and academic productivity of students. Additionally, students use

screens mostly for a variety of academic purposes. including writing essays, presenting

Power Point presentations, researching, and studying. Consequently, this study suggests

that screen time activity is not as detrimental to academic productivity. Nonetheless, it is

critical to exercise moderation because excessive screen time activity can negatively

affect mental and physical health. With this, it is key to remember that all activities,

including screen time, should be done in moderation. Screen time in young children is

discouraged because of its negative effects on their development. However, excessive

screen media use has been rising, particularly during the global pandemic when stay-at-

home mandates were placed on young children in several countries. This study

documents potential developmental effects of excessive screen media use.

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development. Despite its prevalence, there is a dearth of studies relating family dynamics

and screen time. This study aimed to determine the association between family dynamics

and the length of screen time among preschool children.

Children's heavy reliance on screen media has raised serious public health issues since it

might harm their cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional growth. This study examines

the effects of screen time on many developmental domains and covers management and

limitation techniques for kids screen usage. Screen media has a wide range of cognitive

consequences, with both beneficial and detrimental effects noted. Screens can improve

education and learning, however, too much time spent in front of a screen and

multitasking with other media has been related to worse executive functioning and

academic performance. As screen time reduces the amount and quality of interactions

between children and their caregivers, it can also have an impact on language

development. Contextual elements like co-viewing and topic appropriateness are key in

determining how language development is impacted. Additionally, excessive screen

usage has detrimental effects on social and emotional growth, including a rise in the

likelihood of obesity, sleep disorders, and mental health conditions including depression

and anxiety. It can obstruct the ability to interpret emotions, fuel aggressive conduct, and

harm one's psychological health in general. Setting boundaries, utilizing parental

controls, and demonstrating good screen behaviour are all techniques that parents may

use to manage children's screen usage. We can reduce the possible negative impacts of

excessive screen time and promote

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children's healthy development and well-being by increasing knowledge and encouraging

alternative activities that stimulate development.

A longitudinal study published in 2020 looked at cognitive and emotional functioning in

children over time, between age 4 and 8, measured against their daily screen time. The

study found excessive screen time led to emotional dysregulation and negatively affected

mathematics and literacy in school-age students.

In 2021, Denise Scairpon published a dissertation on screen time among 4-and 5- year-

old children and its effect on their social and emotional development as well as their

sleep. The most significant finding: Excessive use of digital devices may cause children
to suffer from irreversible damage to their developing brains and limit their ability for

school success.

In reality, though, screen time research has been less than definitive, mainly owing to a

lack of strong longitudinal studies to date. That's now beginning to change as

psychologists and other child development experts take a deeper and increasingly

nuanced look at children's and teens' use of tablets, phones and other screens. Researchers

are now paying close attention to the kinds of content kids are consuming via digital

devices. They're looking at the environment that surrounds screen time, including

parenting and socioeconomic status. And they're buckling down for the long haul,

building new longitudinal studies that will help answer complex questions about kids,

teens and screens.

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Whether the whole family sits around staring at their smartphones or you keep the TV on

in the background, too much screen time can be harmful. Here are a few ways your health

may be negatively affected by spending too much time in front of a screen.

Today's generation (Lua, Chua, Chia 2020) the COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted the

lives of many. In particular, during the height of the pandemic, many experienced

lockdowns
which in turn increased screen time drastically. While the pandemic has been declared an

endemic and most activities have been reinstated, there appears to still be elevated screen.

time among adolescents due to poor habits formed during the pandemic lockdowns. This

paper explores the factors by which screen time affects well-being among adolescents

and how the pandemic may have influenced some of these factors. For example, beyond

having greater screen time, many adolescents have also reduced their physical activities

and picked up poor sleeping habits. These findings highlight the importance of having

integrated activity guidelines that go beyond limiting adolescents' daily screen time. It is

important to affirm that beyond ensuring that adolescents limit their daily screen time.

they are also meeting physical activity and sleep guidelines so that they achieve a holistic

sense of wellbeing.

Screen time relates to both better and poorer academic performance of children. Some

studies have found a negative association between those variables but 'Horowitz- Kraus

& Hutton (2018) found that excessive screen time leads to decreased cognitive function.

Longer screen time was associated with language delay and academic difficulties.

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According to a longitudinal study on this topic, more hours of screen time leads to poorer

math skills and more hours of television watching leads to poorer reading skills.

Accordingly, Adelantado-Renau et al. (2019) found that video gaming and watching

television was negatively associated with mean grades. According to the American

Psychological Association (APA), social skills refer to the ability to interact properly in

given social circumstances. This applies to assertiveness, communication, making

friends, coping, problem solving, and the ability to regulate cognitions, feelings and
 behaviour (American Psychological Association, n. d.). Engaging in screen based

behaviour may decrease healthy social skills as children have less opportunities for peer

interaction and socialization. As mentioned before, watching television is associated with

language delays, cognitive function and other developmental factors. These elements are

vital for children's social interactions. Higher reports of screen time and lower levels of

outdoor play was correlated with poorer social skills (Hinkley et al., 2018).

Twinge & Campbell (2018) found that those who spent more time on screen media

scored lower in psychological well being. Furthermore, more screen time was linked to

poorer emotion regulation. This applies to factors such as having difficulties making

friends, being difficult to get along with, struggling to stay calm, arguing, lower curiosity,

inability to finish tasks, and lower self-control.

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Input Process Output

Primary Collection and analysis Difficulties to handle
of data through their behaviour and
Age
questionnaire, focus actions, but they
preschool group discussions, and know how to listen to
Health statistical treatment their Parents says and
have a knowledge and
Difficulties to handle
skills
their behaviour and
actions, but they
know how to listen to
their parents say
Definition and terms

Effect: Refers to the impact or influence that screen time has on children's social skills.

This can include bath positive and negative effects on various aspects of their social

development.

Cognitive Development: Refers to the processes of acquiring knowledge, thinking,

problem- solving, and understanding. It includes aspects such as attention, memory, and

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information processing that can be affected by screen time and in turn influence social

skills.
Screen Time: Refers to the amount of time spent in front of screens, including televisions.

computers, tablets, and smartphones. It includes activities such as watching shows,

playing video games, or using social media.

Social Development: Refers to the growth and acquisition of social abilities, behaviours,

and norms through interactions and experiences with others. This includes the

development of friendships, empathy, emotional regulation, and understanding social

cues.

Social Skills: Refers to a set of abilities and behaviours that enable individuals to interact,

communicate, and relate effectively with others. These skills often include verbal and

non- verbal communication, empathy, cooperation, problem-solving, and self-regulation.

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Chapter 2
 Methodology

This chapter describes the method of research design, sampling and

sampling techniques, research instrument, data gathering procedures and statistical

treatment of data. The detailed discussion on the research process will be conducted to

obtain the objectives of this research study.

2.1 Research Design

This study is a Quantitative Research using a Descriptive Analysis research design to

achieve our objective of exploring the impact of screen time on children's social skills is

to unearth the complex dynamics at play. It's not just about examining surface-level

effects but delving deeper to understand the underlying mechanisms at play. Our

approach is rooted in a search for deeper understanding and insight. Choosing a research

design is not a decision taken lightly. It covers a field of previous studies that have taken

a similar path, drawing from their insights to pave the way forward. This design is not

just a choice, but rather a culmination of knowledge gained from various related studies.

This is the most appropriate scaffold for our investigation, combining elements from

previous research to create a robust and comprehensive framework.

2.2 SOURCE OF DATA

2.3 POPULATION AND SAMPLING

The target population for this research defined to include the students from preschool up

to grade 3 students of Ligao East Central School (LECS), since these are the students the

researcher’s reach. For some studies, the population may be small enough to warrant the

inclusion of all of them in the study. But a study may entail a large population which

cannot all be studied. A sample in this study is, therefore, a smaller group. The sample of

the population of this study stood at 100 respondents.

2.4 DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

After the questionnaires were administered directly to the chosen sample for the study

100 copies of the questionnaire given out were successfully completed and returned. The

opposite could have been the case if the researcher had taken the lonely task of going

round the schools to collect the questionnaire.

2.5 INSTRUMENTATION

To carry out the research study, the researcher used the following Research instruments.

We created our own research questions, which were focused on exploring specific aspects

of social skills that could be influenced by screen time.

To ensure the validity and reliability of the research instrument, We recruited a panel of

experts in child psychology and research methodology to review and audit the questions.

They provided insights and feedback on the wording, clarity, relevance, and overall

quality of the questions. We also conducted a pilot study on a small sample of

participants to test the questions, assess their understanding, and refine any issues that

arose.

After conducting the pilot study, We analysed the responses and identified any

problematic questions or areas that required further refinement. We then made the

necessary revisions and created a final version of the research instrument, which was

deemed valid and reliable based on standard research methodology criteria. Overall, the

process of creating and validating the research instrument was rigorous and involved

multiple stages of scrutiny and refinement to ensure the integrity of the study.

2.6 DATA ANALYSIS

2.7 RISK ASSESSMENT

2.8 REFERENCES

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Status of Children. Food Science & Nutrition Technology, 8(3), 1–6.

https://doi.org/10.23880/fsnt-16000303

Valdepenas, J. (2023). The Effects of Screen Time on Children.

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Dy, A. B. C., Dy, A. B. C., & Santos, S. K. (2023). Measuring effects of screen time on

the development of children in the Philippines: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public

Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16188-4

Screen time. (2022). Mind Matters in Children, 219–222.

https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811252419_0020
Anwar, S., & Yadav, D. (2023). DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY IN CHILDREN

ASSOCIATED WITH SCREEN TIME. Era’s Journal of Medical Research, 10(01), 125–

131. https://doi.org/10.24041/ejmr2023.20

Suleman, M., & Sughra, U. (2022). Effect of Screen Time on Behavior of Preschoolers in

Islamabad: Descriptive Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)

https://doi.org/10.2196/ preprints.36568

Wallace, J., & Livingstone, A. (2019). G352(P) Screen time and children: assessing staff

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Goto, R., Isa, T., Kawaharada, R., Horibe, K., Tsuboi, Y., Nakatsuka, K., Uchida, K.,

Saeki, K., & Ono, R. (2022). Effect of Excessive Screen Time on Cardiorespiratory

Fitness in Children: A Longitudinal Study. Children, 9(10), 1422.

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Priftis, N., & Panagiotakos, D. (2023). Screen Time and Its Health Consequences in

Children and Adolescents. Children, 10(10), 1665.

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Goyal, R. (2022). Handling Adverse Effects of Digital Screen Time on Preschool

Children: Looking beyond Limiting Screen Time. Counselling & Psychotherapy

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2.9 APPENDICES