Relationship Between Digital Media Exposure and Socio-Emotional and Behavioural Functioning Among Children Aged 6-12 Years in India: A Parent-Reported Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract: Digital media has become deeply embedded in children's everyday routines, raising vital questions regarding its association with psychological, emotional, and social development. This cross-sectional correlational study investigated the relationship between digital media exposure (screen-time duration, devices, content types, engagement modes) and socio-emotional and behavioural functioning among Indian children during middle childhood (aged 6-12 years), alongside the contextual role of parental mediation. Data were collected via an online survey completed by parents and primary caregivers (N = 50; 58% female children; mean age = 8.70 years, SD = 2.27). Standardized scoring was applied to researcher-developed questionnaires demonstrating high internal consistency: the Parental Mediation scale (α = .890) and the 25-item Socio-Emotional and Behavioural Functioning (SEBF) scale (α = .943) spanning five domains (Emotional Regulation, Empathy/Prosocial Behaviour, Peer Interaction, Behavioural Control, and Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties). Non-parametric analyses revealed significant negative correlations between overall SEBF and both weekday screen time (ρ = -.288, p = .042) and weekend screen time (ρ = -.362, p = .010). Weekend screen time demonstrated significant inverse associations with emotional regulation (ρ = -.410, p = .003), empathy and prosocial behaviour (ρ = -.336, p = .017), and behavioural control (ρ = -.325, p = .021). Parental mediation was strongly and positively associated with overall SEBF (ρ = .619, p
Keywords: Digital media exposure, screen time, middle childhood, socio-emotional development, behavioural functioning, parental mediation, India
How to Cite?: Prity Daga, Kavya Vijayan, "Relationship Between Digital Media Exposure and Socio-Emotional and Behavioural Functioning Among Children Aged 6-12 Years in India: A Parent-Reported Cross-Sectional Study", Volume 15 Issue 10, October 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 682-685, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR261010171837, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR261010171837