Paper led by ICD graduate student Lauren Eales achieves top-citation designation

A paper led by ICD graduate student Lauren Eales was recently recognized as a top-cited article in the journal Child Development from 2021-2022. The paper “Children’s screen and problematic media use in the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic” was a cross-lab collaboration between Dr. Gail Ferguson’s Culture and Family Life Lab and Dr. Stephanie Carlson’s Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. Other co-authors on the paper include ICD graduate student Sarah Gillespie, ICD undergraduate alumnus Reece Alstat, Dr. Ferguson, and Dr. Carlson.

The study showed an increase in both screen media use and problematic screen media use from pre-pandemic (February – April 2019) to post-onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (May – July 2020). It also found that school age children had a steeper increase in problematic media use than preschool age children.

Eales will present her follow-up to this work at the upcoming Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting. Congratulations to Lauren and all of the co-authors!