How 3–5 year olds use tablets and smartphones at home
Official title: Interactive Electronic Devices (IEDs) in the Home: Exploring How Young Children Use IEDs in the Family Home Setting
Run by Sheffield Hallam University · NCT07373483 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see how children aged 3–5 use tablets and smartphones in their home lives and whether family or socioeconomic factors relate to that use.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 3 Years to 5 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Sheffield Hallam University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Sheffield) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | November 17, 2025 |
| Main results expected | July 31, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | January 28, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07373483 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are English-speaking families in the Sheffield area with a child aged 3–5 who uses a tablet or smartphone and whose parent/carer can provide consent and take part in interviews.
✕Probably not a fit
Families who do not speak English and children with a prior clinical diagnosis of a developmental disorder (who are excluded) may not directly benefit from this study's results.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The study uses an ethnographic, observational approach to record how young children interact with interactive electronic devices in their natural home environment. Data collection includes parent questionnaires about family and device use, three in-home video recording sessions of around four hours each across one week, and semi-structured interviews in which parents review selected video clips. Researchers will analyze behaviors, routines, and social interactions around device use and explore links with parental device habits and socioeconomic context. Findings aim to describe real-world patterns rather than test a clinical intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could inform clearer guidance for families, early years practitioners, and policymakers about healthy and equitable device use for young children.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior studies have described parental strategies and usage patterns in young children, but few have used week-long in-home video ethnography with parent review, so this combined approach is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Children between 3 and 5 years old * Children who use an interactive electronic device * Children who have received parent/carer consent for participation and provided verbal assent Exclusion Criteria: * Children whose parents do not speak and/or understand English * Children who have been clinically diagnosed with a developmental disorder by a medical professional prior to either baseline or follow-up assessments
Where it's running
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Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield, United Kingdom Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Eleanor Craig, PhD — Sheffield Hallam University
- Study coordinator: Eleanor Craig, PhD
- Email: Eleanor.Craig@SHU.ac.uk
- Phone: +447407686957
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.