Study: Use of Electronic Devices May Hinder Kids’ Ability to Read Others’ Emotions

iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A psychological study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles found that children may face declining social skills due to their increased use of digital media.

According to a UCLA press release, researchers found that sixth graders who went five days without any use of a smartphone whatsoever were significantly better at “reading human emotions” than sixth graders who were permitted to use their electronic devices as usual. “Many people are looking at the benefits of digital media in education,” said psychology professor Patricia Greenfield, “and not many are looking at the costs.”

Greenfield notes a, “decreased sensitivity to emotional clues — losing the ability to understand the emotions of other people” as one of the primary downsides to increased use of electronic devices. She notes that increased use of those devices leads to less in-person social interaction.

The study will be published in an upcoming edition of the journal Computers in Human Behavior.

Researchers analyzed data from two sets of sixth graders — a total of 105 students. Fifty-one of those students were sent to the Pali Institute, a nature and science camp that prohibits use of electronic devices. The second group of 54 students attended the camp after the study was completed.

Students were evaluated at the beginning and end of the study to determine how well they recognized other people’s emotions in photos and videos. Those who attended the camp scored better at the end of the five-day study at reading emotions.

“We are social creatures,” said Yalda Uhls, the lead author of the study and the Southern California regional director of nonprofit organization Common Sense Media, “we need device-free time.”

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