The Phenomenon of Screen Exposure and Early Child Development: Contemporary Challenges and Research Insights

Sanja Živanović, Slađana Ćalasan, Bojana Vuković, Andrijana Bakoč, Ana Madžar Čančar, Jelena Mićević

Abstract


The modern era is marked by the intensive digitalization of everyday life, which has resulted in earlier and more frequent use of screens among children. Given the potential and very certain impact of digital media on the overall development of a child, the phenomenon of screen exposure has become the subject of a large number of scientific studies, both foreign and domestic. The aim of this paper is to provide readers with an insight into contemporary knowledge about the phenomenon of screen exposure by reviewing and analyzing the available literature. The first part of the paper discusses the social conditioning of upbringing, screen exposure as a multidimensional phenomenon, and screen exposure in the light of developmental and other theories. The analysis of relevant research studies, as the second part of the paper, specifies the outcomes that screen exposure achieves in various areas of child development. Based on these outcomes, pedagogical implications necessary for all experts involved in educational work with children of different ages have been synthesized.

Keywords


screen exposure; digital media; upbringing; social conditioning; child development

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.51558/2490-3647.2026.11.1.807

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