# Predictors of Problematic Media Use in Middle Childhood: Project M.E.D.I.A

> **NIH NIH P01** · GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $62,083

## Abstract

Predictors of Problematic Media use in Middle Childhood: Project M.E.D.I.A
Abstract
 Media are a normative part of life for most children and adults with most individuals spending several
hours each day using various media devices. However, as many as 10% of adolescents and emerging adults
develop an addictive or pathological use of media, which impairs their ability to function in daily life. Existing
research on pathological media use has focused on adolescents and emerging adults; however, trajectories of
both pathological and healthy relationships with media likely begin well before adolescence. It is necessary to
study the trajectories of media use, and in particular problematic and healthy media use, earlier in child
development. This will allow researchers to discover the precursors of problematic use before pathological use
of media has developed. The long-term goal is to understand media-related problematic behavior in childhood
and its contribution to the development of pathological media use later in life. Problematic media use in early
childhood involves a host of likely precursors to later pathological media use, including a fixation on media,
tantrums or crying when media is removed, and sneaking or lying about media. The objective of this particular
application involves three specific aims (1) to determine how early parenting (technoference and parent-child
relationship quality) is associated with problematic media use during middle childhood, (2) to examine how child
media content (child-directed and exploitative) is related to problematic media use over time, and (3) determine
the transactional nature of problematic media use and child behavioral outcomes (social competence and
executive functioning) in early childhood. The central hypothesis is that early parenting (technoference and
parent/child relationship) and low-quality media will be associated with child problematic media use during middle
childhood and such behavior will be associated with negative child outcomes. We propose to explore these aims
in a 3-year longitudinal study in early childhood (from ages 5.5 to 7.5 years), utilizing our cohort of 500 children
we have been studying since birth. We will do this by using several innovative methods including the CAFE
toolkit (passive sensing apps that track time spent using media, time use diaries), and EMA to capture
problematic media use in the moment. The proposed research is significant, because this longitudinal project
will examine how early parenting and child media content relate to problematic media across the middle
childhood period. This knowledge will help researchers identify high-risk individuals that might benefit from early
intervention aimed at changing the trajectory of media exposure, to balance media with other activities, and to
increase healthy media use. This may reduce the number of individuals who develop a pathological relationship
with media later in development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10532540
- **Project number:** 1P01HD109907-01
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah Coyne
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $62,083
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-09 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10532540

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10532540, Predictors of Problematic Media Use in Middle Childhood: Project M.E.D.I.A (1P01HD109907-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10532540. Licensed CC0.

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