Should kids read on their iPads?

Plus: what happens when kids listen to sad music?

It’s February! Big month here at Techno Sapiens HQ. Lots of family birthdays, Valentine’s day, and, most importantly for my toddler, Groundhog Day, which prompted him to rename his stuffed llama “Fluffy Llama Groundhog” to allow for more groundhog-centered pretend play.

And you know what they say: if the Fluffy Llama Groundhog sees his shadow, it’s time for another Research Roundup. 

So here we are, with new studies on:

• Kids recognizing emotions in music

• Benefits of reading on paper vs. tablets/e-readers

• The most popular social media platforms for U.S. adults

Let’s dive in!

1. Can kids recognize emotions in music?

Any parent who’s ever cried in front of their child knows that, when it comes to responding to social cues like this, many children both recognize emotions (e.g., asking why is mom sad?) and resonate with them (e.g., joining in on the crying). But what if there are no obvious facial expressions or other social cues involved? Can children still recognize emotions?

To answer this, this study investigated children’s responses to sad, scary, and calm music. A total of 135 children (ages 5-6) listened to 5-second music clips. They were then asked to recognize the emotion conveyed by the music (sad, calm, or scary), and to indicate their resonance with the music (i.e., by answering How does the music make you feel? Sad, calm, scary, happy, or angry). On average, children recognized emotions with above-chance accuracy. Older children were better at recognizing them. Interestingly, children were more likely to resonate with music, particularly sad music, when they were more empathetic (as reported by their parents).

My take: This is fascinating! It’s amazing to me that children as young as 5 can recognize emotions through music alone, and that kids who are more empathetic feel more sad when they listen to sad music. My toddler is younger than the kids in this study, but it does make me wonder what his strange and enduring love of Chris Stapleton’s music means for his emotional development. Developmental Psychology

2. Is it bad for kids to read on a Kindle or iPad?