{"title":"Conceptualizing age-appropriate social media to support children's digital futures.","authors":"Sonia Livingstone, Kim R Sylwander","doi":"10.1111/bjdp.70006","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjdp.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Is there really a 'right age' for social media? As governments rush to regulate children's digital lives, age-based bans and 'age-appropriate' design regulations are gaining international momentum. However, these are often based on theoretically dated 'ages and stages' models and blunt age thresholds. This article examines three seemingly divergent yet surprisingly convergent approaches. First, emerging regulatory frameworks are embedding 'age-appropriate' design and bright-line age limits. Second, social science research on children's digital experience, offers valuable documentation of developmental variability across ages but provides limited policy-ready guidance and often lacks developmental theory. Third, a normative child rights framework grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child's principle of 'evolving capacities' urges a balance between protection and participation rights in ways that take into account children's variable capacities and increasing autonomy. Given the often fraught and contested nature of the debates over digital policy, we call on developmental psychologists to scrutinize proposed age thresholds, map developmental evidence to diverse contexts, and bring contemporary theory and robust evidence to inform policy. Without this input, decisions that matter to children's digital lives will be left to political expediency and corporate interests, overlooking or even undermining children's rights and developmental needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":51418,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Developmental Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"300-312"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13155263/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144621172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The effects of (in)congruence in paternal and maternal psychological control on adolescents' academic physical exhaustion.","authors":"Yingsi Yang, Hui Chen, Xiao-Hua Frank Wang","doi":"10.1111/bjdp.70022","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjdp.70022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drawing upon family systems theory, we examine the congruent and incongruent effect of paternal and maternal psychological control on middle school students' academic physical exhaustion. Results from polynomial regressions on 202 middle school students supported the congruent effect hypothesis. Furthermore, asymmetrical incongruent effects were observed, with students experiencing higher academic physical exhaustion when paternal psychological control was high combined with maternal psychological control low, compared with the reverse scenario. These findings highlight the pivotal role played by both fathers and mothers in reducing middle school students' academic physical exhaustion.</p>","PeriodicalId":51418,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Developmental Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"365-381"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145314339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emma J Heeman, Tina Sundelin, Lilja K Jónsdóttir, Johan Vegelius, Matilda A Frick, Tommie Forslund, Andreas Frick, Karin C Brocki
{"title":"Childhood emotion reactivity and regulation as predictors of sleep quality: A longitudinal study.","authors":"Emma J Heeman, Tina Sundelin, Lilja K Jónsdóttir, Johan Vegelius, Matilda A Frick, Tommie Forslund, Andreas Frick, Karin C Brocki","doi":"10.1111/bjdp.70024","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjdp.70024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This longitudinal study examined the predictive role of emotion reactivity and regulation on sleep quality across early to middle childhood. Participants were typically developing Swedish children (N = 116, 49% girls), with reactivity and regulation assessed at ages 3, 6 and 9 years, and sleep quality measured at the age of 9 years. Results provided partial support for preregistered hypotheses. Regulation was consistently associated with sleep quality, with concurrent regulation at the age of 9 years showing the strongest association. Reactivity only correlated with sleep quality at the age of 9 years. Exploratory path analysis showed more complex patterns. Regulation emerged as the most consistent predictor of better sleep quality. Early reactivity (ages 3 and 6 years) showed small positive links to later sleep, whereas higher concurrent reactivity at the age of 9 years predicted poorer sleep quality. Mediation analyses suggested that regulation may serve as a mechanism linking reactivity to later sleep quality. Together, these findings underscore both the developmental value and the complexity of emotion-sleep relations, highlighting the need for nuanced, context-sensitive approaches to understanding how emotional functioning supports children's sleep health.</p>","PeriodicalId":51418,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Developmental Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"382-396"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13155310/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145446282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhaoyang Xie, Ningning Feng, Jieqi Wang, Cheng Xu, Yuqi Li, Can Yang, Wenjun Chen, Lijuan Cui
{"title":"The profiles of parent-child attachment network and its influence on longitudinal adolescent problematic mobile phone use: Based on random intercept latent transition analysis.","authors":"Zhaoyang Xie, Ningning Feng, Jieqi Wang, Cheng Xu, Yuqi Li, Can Yang, Wenjun Chen, Lijuan Cui","doi":"10.1111/bjdp.70019","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjdp.70019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Given the lack of evidence, we cannot definitively determine the relationship between attachment networks and problematic mobile phone use, hindering effective intervention strategies. Therefore, a three-wave longitudinal study was designed to explore the heterogeneity of parent-child attachment networks using latent profile analysis (LPA) and random intercept latent transition analysis (RI-LTA). Participants included 2116 adolescents (ages 14-21; 53.8% girls). Results identified five stable parent-child attachment network profiles, each showing moderate but decreasing stability. Notably, adolescents who were grouped into an attachment network characterized by secure maternal attachment but insecure paternal attachment, similar to those in attachment networks with both insecure maternal and paternal attachment, scored higher levels of problematic mobile phone use than those who were grouped into attachment networks with both secure maternal and paternal attachment. Our findings fill empirical gaps and provide strong evidence supporting attachment-based interventions to reduce problematic mobile phone use.</p>","PeriodicalId":51418,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Developmental Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"313-332"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145187303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Materialism as a catalyst, not a compensation: A cross-lagged panel network analysis of psychological insecurity in migrant and non-migrant children.","authors":"Canjia Peng, Shuxin Tian, Huanhuan Zhao, Heyun Zhang","doi":"10.1111/bjdp.70045","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjdp.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Materialism and psychological insecurity are critical constructs in child and adolescent psychological adaptation, yet the directionality and dynamics of their relationship remain contested. This study employed a longitudinal cross-lagged panel network analysis to examine the temporal interplay between these constructs among migrant and non-migrant children, assessing a total of 1034 participants (374 migrants and 660 non-migrants) at two time points. Results revealed that (1) Materialism exerted a stronger predictive effect on psychological insecurity than vice versa. Specifically, the dimension 'success defined by possessions' emerged as the primary driver of insecurity across both groups. (2) Network structures differed systematically between groups: migrant children exhibited denser connectivity and stronger directional pathways from materialism to psychological insecurity. Within these networks, 'interpersonal insecurity' emerged as the most vulnerable node. These findings challenge traditional compensation mechanisms theories by highlighting the predominant role of materialism-particularly among children with migration experiences-in intensifying psychological insecurity. The study provides empirical support for the development of targeted, population-sensitive interventions aimed at fostering healthy psychological development in diverse youth populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":51418,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Developmental Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"502-520"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147624724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sinéad O'Carroll, Bethan Dean, Yu Wei Chua, Victoria Ledsham, James P Boardman, Sue Fletcher-Watson
{"title":"Effects of prematurity and socio-economic status on early life language exposure: A video coding study.","authors":"Sinéad O'Carroll, Bethan Dean, Yu Wei Chua, Victoria Ledsham, James P Boardman, Sue Fletcher-Watson","doi":"10.1111/bjdp.70023","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjdp.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Preterm birth is associated with later language impairment and delay. Socio-economic deprivation is linked to decreased language exposure in early childhood, but it is unknown how prematurity influences this relationship. This study investigated the effects of socio-economic status and gestational age at birth on language exposure, in a sample of 47 preterm and 53 term infant-parent dyads. Videos were coded for parental language and gesture using a novel coding scheme. Video codes revealed no significant differences in the language and gesture used by parents of preterm infants versus term infants during interaction. Socio-economic status was positively correlated with quantity and variety of words used, and mean length of utterance (all r > .25, p < .015). Deprivation, and especially the increased prevalence of deprivation among the preterm population, may be a key factor to consider when examining the risk of language delay for infants born early.</p>","PeriodicalId":51418,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Developmental Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"469-484"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13155323/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145589591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Changes in sleep patterns in adolescents are more associated with pubertal indicators than age: A perfect storm with a dash of hormones.","authors":"Yessica Alejandra Martínez-Sánchez, Debora Cristina Hipolide, Rafaella Sales de Freitas, Sabine Pompeia","doi":"10.1111/bjdp.70028","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjdp.70028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As they become older, adolescents tend to prefer sleeping and rising later. Yet, it is still unclear if these sleep changes occur due to advancing age or because adolescents are more pubertally mature. This was investigated cross-sectionally in a sample of 121 Brazilian 9-to-17-year-olds. Participants reported their sleep habits (bed/rise times, time in bed [TIB] on weekdays and weekends, social jetlag) and circadian preferences (Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children), which were analysed according to changes in age and pubertal status [self-rated Pubertal Development Scale (PDS); clinician-rated Tanner stages]. Older age related only to later weekday bedtimes. Later week/weekend bedtimes and reduced TIB were more associated with Tanner stages, especially pubic hair (adrenal) maturation, while evening preference was linked to higher PDS and genital/breast (gonadal) Tanner stages. Adolescents' sleep habits mapped differently onto age/pubertal status: higher adrenal development related to reduced sleep time, while higher gonadal development associated with eveningness preferences.</p>","PeriodicalId":51418,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Developmental Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"437-453"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13155287/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145551823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Floor Moerman, Petra Warreyn, Sofie Boterberg, Lyssa de Vries, Maide Erdogan, Melinda Madarevic, Ilse Noens, Sarah Schaubroeck, Jean Steyaert, Lotte van Esch, Herbert Roeyers
{"title":"The emergence of object play in young children at elevated likelihood for autism.","authors":"Floor Moerman, Petra Warreyn, Sofie Boterberg, Lyssa de Vries, Maide Erdogan, Melinda Madarevic, Ilse Noens, Sarah Schaubroeck, Jean Steyaert, Lotte van Esch, Herbert Roeyers","doi":"10.1111/bjdp.70026","DOIUrl":"10.1111/bjdp.70026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This prospective study investigated object exploration and combination play, in addition to (pre-)symbolic play in children at elevated likelihood for autism (EL; younger siblings of autistic children and very preterm children). Play of EL-children with (n = 22) and without (n = 61) a best-estimate research diagnosis of autism at 36 months was measured using detailed coding of direct observations at the (corrected) age of 10 and 14 months. As expected, autistic and non-autistic EL-children progressed to (pre-)symbolic play following the onset of combination play. There were no significant differences between both groups for most play behaviours at 10 and 14 months. Non-autistic EL-children did engage in more general combination play acts than autistic EL-children at 10 months. Moreover, 25% of the non-autistic EL-children showed general combination play, versus none of the autistic EL-children at 10 months. At 14 months, non-autistic EL-children spent slightly more of their playtime in spontaneous (pre-)symbolic play than autistic EL-children at 14 months. Object play behaviours were more similar than different between autistic and non-autistic EL-children at 10 and 14 months when playing alone. Our findings do not offer strong support for using solitary object play assessment as a method to identify autism in these very young EL-children.</p>","PeriodicalId":51418,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Developmental Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"397-416"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145534849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}