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    The role of screen time and screen activity in the non-verbal reasoning of a 5-year olds: cross-sectional findings from a large birth cohort study
    (SAGE Publications, 2020-04) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M. Egan
    Family and home environment factors have been outlined in previous literature as important variables that affect early reasoning development. However, little research has focused on the association between screen use in the home environment and non-verbal reasoning ability. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine the role of both screen time and various screen activities (e.g., television, video or educational games) in non-verbal reasoning ability in 9,001 5-year-old children using a large birth cohort study (Growing Up in Ireland). Interviews conducted with parents related to the children's screen use and various family factors, while reasoning ability was measured using a standardised task (Picture Similarities Task, British Ability Scales II). A hierarchical multiple regression examined the role of screen use in non-verbal reasoning, while also statistically controlling for family factors such as parental education and employment status. Screen use variables made a significant contribution to the regression model, even after family factors were accounted for, although the effect sizes were very small. Playing educational games, video games or engaging in over three hours screen use per day were all significant predictors of non-verbal reasoning scores in the final adjusted model. The results of this study suggest that screen use may play a small role in the development of non-verbal reasoning in young children. The findings highlight the need for further studies in this area and may have implications for current debates in screen time research. Keywords: Early childhood; Screen Time; Non-Verbal Reasoning; Video games; Growing Up in Ireland This is the
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    Screen time in early childhood: a review of prevalence, evidence and guidelines
    (OMEP Ireland, 2020-06) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M. Egan
    Much of the research on screen time to date has focused on TV watching and the amount of time spent on screens. However, due to the high level of variation in current screen activities in relation to features, parental scaffolding opportunities, portability, and interactivity (e.g., tv, smartphones, tablets) it is no longer possible to consider the singular effect of all screen types on the developing child. Recent research in the field suggests that the quality of the content, parental engagement and monitoring, and the inclusion of interactive elements are all factors that influence the effect screen use has on early development, in addition to the amount of time spent on the screen. This article discusses the prevalence of screen use in early childhood, as well as the quality of the research evidence base examining the role of screen use in various aspects of child psychological development. The article concludes by considering current definitions and guidelines for screen use in childhood.
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    Screen-time and vocabulary development: evidence from the growing up in Ireland study
    (Barnados, 2018-12) Chloé Beatty; Suzanne M. Egan
    Screen time has long been of interest to psychologists, parents, and those working with young children. The last few decades have seen a considerable amount of research exploring the effects of television viewing on children’s development. However, what “screen time” is has changed since the introduction of touchscreen devices over the last decade. Research indicates that children are becoming proficient at using these devices at a young age. Marsh et al. (2015) found that by 3 years of age, nearly two-thirds of the 2,000 children in their study were able to effectively navigate a tablet, including the ability to turn it on and off, drag and swipe, and open and exit apps. McClure, Chentsova-Dutton, Barr, Holochwost, and Parrott (2015) and Rideout (2011; 2013) also noted the rise in toddlers’ touchscreen use from 10% using touchscreens daily in 2010, to 38% using them daily in 2013. In contrast, daily television viewing decreased in the same time period from 79% of toddlers to 63%. The potential ways in which young children can interact with screens has changed over the last 10 years. Touchscreens allow for increased opportunities for early learning as operational barriers, such as using a mouse or keyboard, are less prevalent (Merchant, 2015). However, the increased range of screen types with which young children can interact (e.g., television, smart phone, tablet), and the increased range of activities (e.g., cartoons, video games, educational games, online video chat) present a challenge to researchers and policy makers hoping to draw on a strong evidence base to inform policy and practice. Previous research examining the impact of screen time on early childhood development, much of which focuses on television viewing, raises questions as to whether or not these findings extend to other types of screens and activities. Therefore, it is important to differentiate between screen time, type, and content when measuring the effect of screen use on children’s development. This distinction may provide a more nuanced classification of screen use, rather than just screen “time”, appropriate to the variety of screen uses young children today engage in. As different elements of screen use are considered separately, their impacts on various aspects of development, such as social interaction, attention, reasoning, and notably language development, can be explored and understood.
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    "Not a fixed line": co-creating the pathos guiding principles
    (TULCA Publishing, Galway, 2025-11) Ailbhe McDaid; Julie Morrissy; Leah Smith
    In spring 2025, the research team leading Pathologies of Violence: Inscriptions of Global Conflict in Irish Artistic Practice (PATHOS) hosted a series of artist-centered workshops at The Glucksman (Cork), against the backdrop of widespread and worsening global conflict and geopolitical instability. These circumstances were central to our workshop discussions and, in some cases, affected our practitioners directly. Thematically, the workshops were broadly concerned with making art about conflict, which included related discussions on artistic responsibility, witnessing, ethics and activism, and debates on the possibilities and limitations of art in times of conflict. The PATHOS participants spoke from differing proximities to conflict, sharing details from their artistic practices and professional experiences working on conflict-related themes. Though many discussions centred on steps that organisations could take, the PATHOS practitioners also reflected on their own ethical obligations. The Guiding Principles, and our research more generally, draw on the PATHOS participants’ first-hand accounts, and on other writers and theorists, including Fred Moten, Hettie Judah, Stefano Harney, Maggie Nelson, Yohann Floch, and Marie Le Sourd. Though the workshop discussions were grounded in the Irish context, the issues raised are relevant to global arts practice.
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    The role of physical activity and outdoor play in the socio-emotional development of children in Ireland
    (2025-12-19) Hilliard, Emma
    Aims Physical activity and outdoor play is thought to have a number of benefits for healthy growth and development, both physically and psychologically. Recent decades have reported a decrease in active outdoor play for children. Meanwhile, a substantial number of children are presenting with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. This research aimed to examine physical activity and outdoor play in middle childhood. It investigated whether children who spent more time engaged in these activities reported better socio-emotional outcomes both concurrently and longitudinally and whether children’s socio-emotional development varied according to their involvement in structured versus unstructured outdoor play. Method The first study involved longitudinal analysis of secondary data from the child cohort of the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) national longitudinal study of children in Ireland to explore if time spent in physical activity play, exercise and sport at 9 years of age was related to socio-emotional development at 9 years old, 13 years old and 17-18 years old. The second study involved 108 participants aged between eight and ten years old who were recruited through primary schools. Parents of these children completed measures including a questionnaire on their child’s involvement in physical activity and outdoor play, socio-emotional development and an optional time use diary. Results Regression analyses indicated that time spent in physical activity and outdoor play at nine years old was significantly associated with peer relationship problems in middle childhood and early adolescence. While individual, family and environmental factors were significant predictors of other aspects of socio-emotional development, time spent in physical activity and outdoor play was not. No statistically significant difference was noted between time spent in structured physical activity and time spent in unstructured active outdoor play in terms of their impact on socio-emotional development. Conclusion The findings from this study provide valuable information about patterns of physical activity and outdoor play in middle childhood and tentatively support an association between these activities and peer relationships in middle childhood and early adolescence. They further highlight the importance of adopting a holistic bioecological approach to understanding socio-emotional development. The implications of these findings for schools, policy and practice are outlined.