Research Review: Mobile Device Use and Language Development in Toddlers

As mobile devices become increasingly ubiquitous in households across the globe, concerns have grown around their impact on early childhood development. While these devices offer educational content and moments of reprieve for busy caregivers, researchers continue to investigate their broader cognitive and developmental implications.

A recent large-scale study conducted in Denmark sheds light on one particularly sensitive domain: language development in toddlers. By analysing screen time in relation to comprehension and expressive ability, the research attempts to trace whether early exposure to mobile devices might shape, or hinder, foundational communication skills. The study, published in BMC Public Health (2024), draws from data gathered through the TRACES survey—a national cohort of Danish families. It included 31,297 children between the ages of two and three, whose parents reported the average time their child spent on mobile phones and tablets each day. Language development was measured through parent assessments using the Five to Fifteen Toddlers questionnaire, which offers insight into both comprehension (the ability to understand language) and expressive skills (the ability to speak and form language).

The study's findings are sobering, where compared to toddlers who did not use mobile devices daily, children who spent one hour or more per day with a mobile device had significantly poorer scores in both comprehension and expressive language. In fact, the study found that high mobile device use was associated with a 19-46% higher odds of challenges with expressive language and a 30-42% likelihood of difficulties in expressed language challenges. These results remained consistent even after adjusting for a broad range of confounding variables, such as parental education levels, maternal mental health, and socioeconomic status.

Crucially, the study did not aim to cast mobile devices as inherently harmful or demonise their presence in modern households. Instead, it sought to better understand how they fit within the broader ecology of early childhood development, especially when other influential factors are present. Among these, the researchers paid particular attention to the "home learning environment"—a concept that captures both material resources and interactive behaviours such as book reading, storytelling, and time spent on educational activities.

One of the more compelling aspects of the study was its examination of whether these home learning practices could mitigate some of the negative associations between screen time and language outcomes. Frequent parental reading emerged as a partial buffer, especially for comprehension. Toddlers who were read to more often displayed slightly better comprehension scores, even when their mobile device use was higher. However, this buffering effect did not extend to expressive language, suggesting that certain developmental domains may be more vulnerable to passive screen exposure than others.

"Toddlers who were read to more often displayed slightly better comprehension scores, even when their mobile device use was higher"

Interestingly, other elements of the home environment—such as access to books or toys—did not show the same compensatory effects. Nor did other screen-related habits, such as time spent watching television or playing computer games. These findings point toward something particularly distinctive about mobile devices: their interactivity, portability, and often solitary usage may present unique challenges for the kind of rich, back-and-forth communication that language acquisition thrives on.

The researchers are careful not to overstate causality. Because the study is cross-sectional in nature, it cannot definitively conclude whether mobile device use causes poorer language outcomes or whether children with emerging language difficulties are more likely to be given screens. However, the consistent patterns across a very large sample, and the strength of the associations even after adjusting for multiple variables, add weight to the argument that early, unsupervised screen time may play a contributory role.

"These findings point toward something particularly distinctive about mobile devices: their interactivity, portability, and often solitary usage may present unique challenges for the kind of rich, back-and-forth communication that language acquisition thrives on"

This study ultimately reinforces a growing body of evidence suggesting that in the formative years of language development, direct human interaction still holds unparalleled value. While mobile devices are undoubtedly woven into the fabric of modern parenting, their role must be carefully calibrated. Traditional, interactive activities—like storytelling, singing, and especially reading—may offer not just enrichment, but protection against developmental delays. In a world increasingly mediated by screens, the enduring power of shared language between caregiver and child remains one of the most potent tools for early growth.

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References:

• Rayce, S, Okholm, G and Flensborg-Madsen, T. (2024). Mobile device screen time is associated with poorer language development among toddlers: results from a large-scale survey. BMC Public Health. 24 (1050). [Online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18447-4.