How 3–5 year olds use tablets and smartphones at home
Interactive Electronic Devices (IEDs) in the Home: Exploring How Young Children Use IEDs in the Family Home Setting
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 |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Ages | 3 Years to 5 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Sheffield Hallam University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Sheffield) |
| Trial ID | NCT07373483 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
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.
Who should consider this trial
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.
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.
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 performed: 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.
Eligibility criteria
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 this trial is running
Sheffield
- 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
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.