The Impact of Digital Technology Use on Early Childhood Social-Emotional Development: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Digital devices have become deeply embedded in the daily lives of young children, raising ongoing questions about their influence on social-emotional development during a developmentally sensitive period. This study aims to systematically review empirical literature on the impact of digital technology use on the social-emotional development of children aged 3–6 years. Following a PRISMA-informed procedure, articles published between 2015 and 2026 were identified through Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed/PMC, and Indonesian national journal portals, using keyword combinations such as "screen time social-emotional preschool", "gadget perkembangan sosial emosional anak usia dini", and "parental mediation digital media young children". After screening for relevance, population, and outcome measures, a set of qualitative, quantitative, and review studies was retained for thematic synthesis. The review finds that the relationship between digital technology and social-emotional development is not uniformly negative or positive but is substantially moderated by usage duration, content type, and most consistently the quality of parental mediation. Uncontrolled or passive screen exposure is repeatedly associated with reduced verbal communication, lower-quality peer interaction, and emotion-regulation difficulties, whereas active parental co-viewing and mediation of educational content is associated with gains in empathy and emotion recognition. The review concludes that digital technology's impact on early social-emotional development is best understood as conditional rather than deterministic, and recommends that Indonesian parents and early childhood educators prioritize active mediation strategies and content curation over blanket restriction or unrestricted access alone.