Screen use, family interactions and externalizing problems in a sample of Colombian children

Abstract

The excessive use of screens contributes to the onset and maintenance of externalized problems in children. The present study aims to examine the effect of frequent use of screens and positive and negative parenting on externalizing problems in 84 Colombian children between the ages of 7 and 9. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to identify the parental perception of internalized and externalized symptoms; the Questionnaire of Problematic Use of Technologies was used to detect the frequency of screen usage and its associated problems; the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire was used to assess the positive and negative parenting. Multiple regression analyses yielded a relationship between frequent screen use and inconsistent discipline for externalized problems only. Male sex and high socio-economic status were also strong predictors in the models. The results underscore the importance of parents’ consistent discipline and regulation of the frequency of screen use to reduce externalized problems from early childhood. © 2024 Asoc. Espanola de Psicologia Clinica y Psicopatologia. All rights reserved.