A longitudinal examination of mediating factors in the relationship between digital technology use and language skills in children aged 0–3

Considering that digital technologies have become pervasive in daily life and are now used by individuals of all ages, it is essential to examine their associations with language development during infancy, when developmental foundations are established. This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal relationships between babies' language skills and their digital technology use, as well as the mediating roles of parents' digital technology use, digital parenting behaviors, maternal attachment, temperament, parenting styles, parent–baby interaction during use, and sociodemographic characteristics. A nested mixed-methods design was employed. The quantitative phase employed a sequential longitudinal design, whereas a case study design was used in the qualitative phase. The sample consisted of 220 children aged 8–36 months and their parents; the qualitative group included 15 purposively selected participants. Quantitative data were collected using the Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory, Turkish Communicative Development Inventory, Digital Parenting Behaviors Scale, Digital Technology Usage Scale for Babies, Maternal Attachment Inventory, Parents' Attitude Scale, Temperament Assessment Battery for Children, and Technology Use Questionnaire. Qualitative data were obtained through the Parent–Baby Interaction Observation Form and semi-structured interviews. Analyses included ANOVA and Linear Mixed Model (LMM) tests for longitudinal data, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for mediation analyses, and content analysis for qualitative data. Results showed that while babies' language skills and technology use increased over time, parents' digital parenting behaviors remained stable. Babies' language skills were not influenced by digital technology use; however, technoference, maternal screen time, and parenting styles were found to be determinants of this use. The relationships were moderated by parental education and maternal employment status. Qualitative findings indicated that over time, parents' perceptions of digital technologies became more positive, and although awareness of technoference remained limited, parent–baby interaction during shared technology use showed longitudinal improvement. Raising parental awareness of digital parenting is recommended.