Researchers: Galit hirsh-yechezkel¹, Omer Bar-Yosef², Angela Chetrit ¹

Background: The extensive and frequent use of screens, including televisions, computers, and cellular phones by children from a very young age, is a concern, particularly during wartime when parental unavailability may lead to increased usage.

Objectives: To evaluate the association between socio-demographic characteristics including the family status during the Iron Sword Wa and the patterns of screen use as well as changes in screen time among preschool children during the wartime

Method: A self-report questionnaire was administered to parents of children aged 1-5 (906 Jewish and 172 Arab) via an internet panel. The survey asked about sociodemographic characteristics, family circumstances, as well as screen time (duration and pattern) before and during the war.

Findings: In total, 17.5% and 10.3% Jewish children reported using their cellular phones and computers more than one hour/day, respectively. Several sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, parental education) were found to be associated with the both daily screen time and increased use during the war." 44.4% reported an increase in children's screen time during the Iron Sword War, with significantly increased rates when family members reserved in the army or when the family have been evacuated from their homes (OR=1.51; 95%CI 1.23-2.01 and OR=1.87; 95%CI 1.01-3.49, respectively). Screen time before bed and during meals increased during the war compared to the pre-war period. While 40% reported familiarity with recommendations for wise screen use, 23.3% found them infeasible, and 33.9% believed they could only be implemented in routine situations.
Among Arab children, 34.8% reported using a cellular phone and 23.2% a computer for more than one hour/day and nearly half of the children increased their use during the Iron Sword War.

Conclusions:
The study's findings highlighted the potential impact of parental stress during wartime on young children's screen use patterns.

Recommendations: To mitigate the negative effects of screen use during such times, public and other organizations should provide parents with practical tools to cope with the unique challenges of this period

Research end date: 09/2025