Relationship between the use of digital devices and the development of the imagination of a preschooler.

The impact of digital socialization on the development of children occupies a significant place in modern research. Our goal was to study the relationship between the use of digital devices and the development of the imagination of a preschooler.

We assumed that the level of development of non-verbal imagination in older preschoolers who has 2 hours or more of screen time is lower than in children who has less than 1 hour a day of screen time.

To assess active (using applications, video games) and passive (watching video products) screen time of older preschoolers, a questionnaire was used by M. Bortsova and S. Nekrasov “Regulations on the use of gadgets by a child”. To determine the level of development of non-verbal imagination - the technique of O. Dyachenko "Dorisovyvanie".

The sample consisted of 189 preschool children aged 5-7 attending kindergartens in Moscow and their parents. Children were divided into three groups according to the level of imagination (low, medium and high). Performance levels were factors in a one-way analysis of variance to compare children's screen time.

Children with a low level of imaginative development significantly differed [F(2,236) = 6.25, p = 0.001] in terms of passive screen time (M = 11.2; SD = 5.5) from children with an average (M = 8.2; SD = 5.2) and a high level of imagination development (M = 8.7; SD = 5.9). In addition, these children significantly differed [F(2,235) = 11.22, p = 0.001] from children with a high and medium level of imagination development in terms of active screen time (M = 8.4; SD = 5.8): from groups of children with a level (M =4.7; SD = 5.3) and high (M = 5; SD = 4.8).

Consequently, the hypothesis was confirmed, the level of development of the imagination is associated with screen time.