Screen Time and Developmental Outcomes in the First Digitally Native Generation: Co-viewing Does Not Buffer Harm in a Mixed-Methods Study From Urban Iran

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Background. Parental co-viewing is widely recommended to mitigate the negative effects of early childhood screen time. Evidence for its protective role remains limited in non-Western populations and rarely distinguishes between passive co-presence and active verbal mediation. Methods. A two-phase mixed-methods cross-sectional study was conducted among urban Iranian families. Phase 1 used an online questionnaire (n = 250 mother-child pairs) to assess child screen time, content type, device use, technoference, and co-viewing. Phase 2 (n = 50) included in-person developmental assessment with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3), a structured questionnaire, and a semi-structured qualitative interview. Spearman correlations, multiple regression, moderation analysis, and thematic analysis examined associations between screen exposure variables and developmental outcomes. Results. Child screen time was negatively associated with all five ASQ-3 domains (Spearman r = -0.542 to -0.704, all p < 0.01) and total developmental score (r = -0.891, p < 0.001). In regression analysis controlling for child age and maternal education, child screen time explained 75.6% of variance in total developmental score (β = -0.869, p < 0.001). Maternal screen time was selectively associated with fine motor (r = -0.323, p = 0.022), personal-social skills (r = -0.304, p = 0.032), and total score (r = -0.411, p = 0.003). Co-viewing did not moderate the screen time-development relationship (interaction β = 0.047, p = 0.520). Three qualitative themes emerged: pseudo-cognitive development paradox, behavioral and physiological strain, and passive co-viewing as a parental coping mechanism. Conclusions. Screen time exposure was strongly and negatively associated with developmental outcomes across all measured domains. Parental co-viewing did not buffer these effects because, in this cultural context, it functioned as physical co-presence rather than active mediation. These findings support screen time reduction as the primary target of early childhood media interventions, with active mediation as a complement rather than a substitute. Keywords: screen time; child development; co-viewing; technoference; Ages and Stages Questionnaire; early childhood; mixed methods; Iran.

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Farhang, T., Anari, S. S. S., & Hassanzadeh, S. (2026). Screen Time and Developmental Outcomes in the First Digitally Native Generation: Co-viewing Does Not Buffer Harm in a Mixed-Methods Study From Urban Iran. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/q93bm_v1