Alrahili Nader, Almarshad Najla A, Alturki Reham Y, Alothaim Jamal S, Altameem Roba Mohsin, Alghufaili Mohammed A, Alghamdi Abdulmajeed A, Alageel Asem A
Department of Psychiatry, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, SAU.
Department of Psychiatry, King Saud University, Riyadh, SAU.
Cureus. 2021 Oct 14;13(10):e18787. doi: 10.7759/cureus.18787. eCollection 2021 Oct.
Research problem Advances in technology have ensured its inevitable integration in our life. Children, being at a vulnerable age period of development, are spending more time on electronic devices. Some studies reported negative effects on sleep, physical health such as obesity and vision problems, and behavioral changes such as aggressive behavior with exposure to violent media content. Research significance We will study the effect of using electronic devices on communication skills in children in Saudi Arabia. Our findings can be used to raise awareness on this matter. Research objectives The aim of our study is to examine the association between screen time and social communication skills among children of four years to six years of age in Saudi Arabia. Research methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the relationship between social skills development and screen time by using a validated Arabic version of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ). The sample in this study consists of 308 children from four to six years of age. Research results The results showed that the hours spent using the electronic device were significantly associated with having an SCQ score ≥ 15 (P < 0.05). A high SCQ score was prevalent in 19.7% (n = 31) of children who spent >3 hours using an electronic device compared to 10.2% (n = 5) and 7.84% (n = 8) of children who spent an hour or <2 hours using electronic devices, respectively. Conclusion Our study highlighted a significant association between the daily hours spent on devices and having an SCQ score above 15, which suggests a deficit in social skill development and having autism spectrum disorder-like symptoms.
研究问题 技术进步已确保其不可避免地融入我们的生活。儿童正处于发育的脆弱年龄阶段，花在电子设备上的时间越来越多。一些研究报告称，接触暴力媒体内容会对睡眠、身体健康（如肥胖和视力问题）以及行为变化（如攻击性行为）产生负面影响。
研究意义 我们将研究在沙特阿拉伯使用电子设备对儿童沟通技巧的影响。我们的研究结果可用于提高对此事的认识。
研究目标 我们研究的目的是检验沙特阿拉伯4至6岁儿童的屏幕使用时间与社交沟通技巧之间的关联。
研究方法 采用横断面研究，通过使用经过验证的阿拉伯语版社交沟通问卷（SCQ）来调查社交技能发展与屏幕使用时间之间的关系。本研究的样本包括308名4至6岁的儿童。
研究结果 结果显示，使用电子设备的时长与社交沟通问卷得分≥15显著相关（P<0.05）。在使用电子设备超过3小时的儿童中，19.7%（n=31）的儿童社交沟通问卷得分较高，而使用电子设备1小时或少于2小时的儿童中，这一比例分别为10.2%（n=5）和7.84%（n=8）。
结论 我们的研究强调了每天花在电子设备上的时长与社交沟通问卷得分高于15之间存在显著关联，这表明社交技能发展存在缺陷以及有类似自闭症谱系障碍的症状。
