Date of Award

Spring 3-7-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Cherie Gaines

Second Advisor

Keith Carpenter

Third Advisor

Christopher Stotts

Abstract

Screen-based media has been a staple in American homes since the 1920s, but technological innovation has transformed the role of screen-based media into an integral component of everyday life, particularly for young children. The increased time that children spend engaging screens prompted researchers to examine the effects of screen time on childhood development. Due to a lack of extant literature related to the effects of screen time on children’s social development, the purpose of this qualitative, interpretive study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of the influence of screen time on early elementary students’ peer-to-peer and teacher-student interactions and changes in social competencies. After collecting data through online questionnaires from 28 participants, I analyzed the data using open, axial, and selective coding to generate themes. The participants in this study indicated that traditional social interactions and developmental experiences were being displaced by screen time, resulting in a decline in children’s social competencies and rendering children unable to communicate effectively or appropriately with peers and teachers. The findings highlighted the complex relationship between screen time and social competency development, suggesting that while technology offers some benefits, its overuse may contribute to a decline in essential social skills.

Keywords

screen time, social competencies, social skills, social development

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