ScreenSafeFuture: A parent-empathetic and pragmatic mhealth application for toddlers' brain development addressing screen-addiction challenges

Abstract

The surging incidents of infants and toddlers screen addiction in the United States are becoming a pressing concern, given its compound impact on cognitive, mental, and physical growth. To address this era's critical child health and development problem, in this paper an innovative mHealth application– ScreenSafeFuture—is proposed. ScreenSafeFuture provides practical solutions that seamlessly fit into parents' busy lifestyles, acknowledging the effectiveness and convenience of smartphones as a healthcare tool. The solution includes essential features designed to enhance the experience between parents and their children under 3 years old encompassing an alternative activity advocator for a personalized parent-offspring scenario, screen time tracking based on current standards, an educational reservoir for parents, and a rewarding system for long-term user engagement. This paper presents a functional ScreenSafeFuture iOS prototype, that will undergo parent usability testing, followed by continuous advancements based on user feedback. Future evaluation will focus on predicting the differences in average daily screen time consumption and changes in parental media management practices. The next milestone will assess app usage frequency and duration, completion of in-app activities, user satisfaction scores, retention and completion rates. Final milestone will analyse changes in parental knowledge, shifts in parental attitudes, and increased awareness of resources. These development phases will utilize the Delphi panel consensus for a more reliable and robust outcome, ensuring its effectiveness in addressing screen addiction challenges and supporting younger generations' healthy development.