About the Study : In this cohort study, primary parent smartphone screen time was associated with slower growth in children’s receptive vocabulary, whereas children’s digital device ownership was associated with lower concurrent language performance. These findings highlight the importance of considering screen use within the broader family context when evaluating children’s language development and are potentially informative for parents and clinicians.
This study has an accompanying commentary .
Corresponding Author : Øistein Anmarkrud, PhD, Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, Sem Saelands vei 7, PO Box 1140 Blindern, Oslo 0371, Norway ( oistein.anmarkrud@isp.uio.no ).
10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.3490
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JAMA Pediatrics