Is your phone hurting your child? new study investigates 'Technoference'
NCT ID NCT07387133
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at how parents' use of smartphones and other digital devices while with their children (called 'technoference') might relate to children's emotional and behavioral development. Researchers will follow 250 parents of children aged 2 to 5 years for six months, using online questionnaires. No treatment or intervention is involved—just observation to better understand any potential connections.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If this study finds a link, it could help parents understand how their phone use might affect their child's behavior and emotions.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It only looks for associations, not cause and effect. Results may not apply to all families.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Mar 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
The study population consists of parents and their children aged 24 to 60 months who attend a pediatric outpatient clinic at a tertiary training and research hospital.
- Ages
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24 to 60 months
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Children aged 24 to 60 months. * Parent or primary caregiver able to read and understand Turkish. * Parent uses a smartphone and can access device-based screen time information. * Ability to complete an online questionnaire. * Provision of written informed consent by the parent or legal guardian. * Availability for a 6-month follow-up assessment. Exclusion Criteria: * Children with severe neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, severe intellectual disability, neurometabolic diseases). * Parents unable to reliably complete questionnaires due to cognitive, psychiatric, or language-related limitations. * Parents who do not use a smartphone or cannot access screen time data. * Refusal or inability to provide informed consent. * Inability to be contacted for follow-up assessment.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Sancaktepe Prof. Dr. Ilhan Varank Training and Research Hospital
Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
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