Bidirectional Associations Between Screen Time and Irritability in Preadolescence: A Temporal Network Analysis

Abstract

Introduction:

Irritability, a form of emotion dysregulation, is a transdiagnostic symptom cutting across internalizing and externalizing problems. Clinical practitioners and parents have expressed concerns about the potential negative impact of screen use on irritability in youth. Despite the significant concerns, no studies have examined the association between screen usage and irritability and its directionality. Using a novel temporal network approach, this study investigated bidirectional associations between irritability and screen time across different activities in preadolescents.

Materials and Methods:

We used data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Data from baseline, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups were included (N = 8979, baseline mean age = 9.5 years, 49.1% females). All data used in the study were collected from 2016 to 2019. At each timepoint, time spent on different screen activities was self-reported by youth using the ABCD Youth Screen Time Survey, and irritability was measured using parent-rated Child Behavior Checklist.

Results:

The cross-sectional Gaussian Graphical Model showed that irritability was negatively associated with time spent on video streaming at Year 2. The temporal network, estimated by Graphical Vector Autoregressive Model, revealed bidirectional associations between irritability online chatting. Specifically, online chatting predicted decreases in irritability over time, whereas irritability predicted increased time spent on online chatting. Additionally, watching TV and using social media were both associated with subsequent increases in irritability. Results controlled for co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest a bidirectional association between irritability and online chatting. TV watching and social media unidirectionally predicted increased irritability. These associations highlighted the importance of monitoring screen use patterns as both potential behavioral symptoms and modifiable risk factors in interventions targeting emotion dysregulation. More research is needed to better understand how various screen activities and contents and adolescents’ motives to use them are linked to irritability.