The Influence of Sociodemographic Factors on Mobile Device Use among Young Children in Putrajaya, Malaysia

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Digital Media Studies
• Sociodemographics

Background:

• Mobile device use is pervasive among children globally.
• Early exposure and parental provision contribute to potential excessive use.
• Understanding influencing factors is crucial for addressing problematic usage patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sociodemographic factors influencing excessive mobile device use in young children.
• To identify key predictors of problematic mobile phone use (PMPUS) among this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative, cross-sectional survey design.
• Simple random sampling of 364 parents.
• Utilized the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale (PMPUS) and logistic regression analysis.

Main Results:

• Child's gender, age at first use, and parental reasons for provision significantly predicted problematic use, accounting for 77.7% of variance.
• Parental education, household income, and application type were not significant predictors.
• Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale (PMPUS) identified key risk factors.

Conclusions:

• Gender, early initiation age, and parental intent are critical factors in children's problematic mobile device use.
• Targeted interventions should consider these sociodemographic variables.
• Further research is recommended to explore other potential influences and develop effective strategies.