As young children are being increasingly introduced to smartphones and YouTube earlier in life, there is a need to examine how exposure to these outlets affects their emotional and behavioral development. To this end, a new study published in the journal BMC Public Health examines how watching YouTube affects young children in South Korea. Study: From temperament to YouTube: exploring the link between childhood temperament, YouTube usage patterns, and emotional/behavioral problems among children.
Image Credit: Subbotina Anna / Shutterstock.com In South Korea, over 90% of elementary school students have their own smartphones to network with each other, play games, browse the internet, and watch videos. Previous studies have indicated that smartphone and internet use is associated with higher levels of emotional and behavioral issues, including external aggression, internalized depression, and loneliness.
YouTube is a top video-sharing platform, with YouTube Kids being advertised as child-friendly. Current estimates indicate that YouTube usage exceeds one billion hours each day and over two billion viewers every month. Compared to conventional social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter, YouTube has a unique reliance on videos with interactive features, including 'likes' and 'comments,' which build online anonymous relationships.
YouTube fuses the traditional media elements of television, movies, and music with the interactive elements of digital media .” Instagram uses bo.
