From screens to words: Exploring family media ecology and language outcomes in infancy

This study applies the Dynamic, Relational, Ecological Approach to Media Effects Research (DREAMER) framework to investigate how family media ecology associates with early vocabulary development. Drawing on a sample of 279 Swiss families with children aged 8–30 months, we examined how individual (child age, gender), structural (parental education, daycare attendance, siblings), and contextual (parental motivations, co-viewing behaviors) factors shape screen use dynamics and language outcomes. Using a Bayesian structural equation modeling approach, we tested a serial mediation model linking these variables to vocabulary percentiles derived from the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. While structural factors such as daycare attendance and sibling presence did not predict vocabulary outcomes, parental motivations—particularly for learning and behavioral management—were associated with screen use patterns and co-viewing behaviors. However, these contextual factors did not reliably predict vocabulary scores. Our findings highlight the complexity of media effects in early childhood and underscore the importance of considering developmental timing, family context, and parental intent. The results support the DREAMER framework’s emphasis on dynamic, bidirectional processes and call for longitudinal, multi-informant research to better capture the nuanced pathways linking digital media use to developmental outcomes.