Digital Screen Exposure of Children During Complementary Feeding: The Role of Maternal Social Media Addiction

ABSTRACT

Background

Mothers may resort to digital screen use for their children during the complementary feeding period. Given the pervasiveness of social media use in daily life, mothers' screen‐related behaviours during caregiving may be linked to their level of social media addiction. This study aimed to examine the relationship between mothers' social media addiction levels and their children's digital screen exposure during the complementary feeding period.

Methods

This descriptive, comparative and correlational study included 390 mothers with children aged 6–18 months who presented to the paediatric outpatient clinics of a university hospital. Data were collected using the ‘Screen Time and Complementary Feeding Information Form’ and the ‘Social Media Addiction Scale–Adult Form’. Independent‐samples t‐test, one‐way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis were used for exploratory data analysis.

Results

The mean maternal social media addiction score was 44.11 ± 10.836 (possible range: 20–100). Approximately one quarter of the children were exposed to digital screens during complementary feeding. Higher maternal addiction scores were observed across several socio‐demographic and feeding‐related characteristics. In addition, a statistically significant association was found between mothers' social media addiction scores and children's daily screen exposure (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Maternal social media addiction levels were moderate. These findings highlight the importance of maternal social media use as a potential factor associated with digital screen exposure during complementary feeding. Education on digital media use during complementary feeding should address screen practices as an integral component of infant feeding guidance.

Summary

• In our sample, one in four children aged 6–18 months was exposed to digital screens during complementary feeding, raising concerns for healthy development.

• In correlation analysis, maternal social media addiction was significantly associated with both maternal and child screen time, particularly during feeding.

• Lower maternal self‐efficacy and greater difficulties during complementary feeding were associated with increased screen use.

• Healthcare professionals should incorporate digital media literacy and self‐efficacy‐enhancing strategies into parental education.

• Interventions targeting maternal screen behaviour may support healthier and easier feeding practices and reduce early screen exposure in children.

1. Introduction

Digital technologies have become an integral part of daily life, shaping various aspects of human behaviour alongside advances in science. Among these, social media platforms have emerged as widely used tools for maintaining social connections, accessing information and engaging in interaction (Li et al. 2022; Nar 2015). Beyond communication, these platforms are increasingly used by caregivers to monitor children's nutrition, development and health (Li et al. 2022).

Digital media also provides numerous opportunities for infant care, education and entertainment (Balçık Çolak and Öztürk Can 2021; Ekrem and Daşıkan 2023). Parents often rely on digital screens while managing childcare routines, including feeding. However, the role of digital screen use, particularly during the complementary feeding period, warrants closer examination. Complementary feeding typically begins around 6 months of age and requires adaptation for both infants and mothers. This period involves establishing feeding habits and introducing new tastes and textures, which may pose challenges and require parental patience and attentiveness (Karakul and Doğan 2021; Soyer 2020; Şener Taplak et al. 2020).

Studies have shown that many mothers experience difficulties during this transition and may adopt various strategies to facilitate feeding, including using digital screens to capture the infant's attention (Karakul and Doğan 2021; Lauricella et al. 2015; Soyer 2020; Thompson et al. 2013). Devices such as tablets, smartphones and televisions are commonly used for this purpose. Although some digital media content may have educational value—enhancing children's cognitive and language development or enabling virtual family interactions—there is growing concern about the potential negative consequences of excessive screen exposure (Duch et al. 2013; Karakul and Doğan 2021; Pearce and Langley‐Evans 2013; Pérez‐Escamilla et al. 2017). These may include delayed language development, sleep disturbances, reduced physical activity, obesity and attention problems in later childhood (Anderson et al. 2017; Gottschalk 2019; Madigan et al. 2020; Mustafaoğlu et al. 2018; Ribner and McHarg 2019). Therefore, the American Academy of Paediatrics recommends limiting screen time for children under 18 months to video chatting with an adult (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2024).

Several studies have reported that parental screen habits are significantly associated with children's screen exposure (Lauricella et al. 2015; Thompson et al. 2013). For instance, a study in the United States found that infants as young as 3 months were exposed to television for an average of 2.6 h per day, and that maternal screen time and low educational levels were predictive of greater screen exposure during feeding (Thompson et al. 2013). Similarly, Lauricella et al. (2015) reported that the time parents spent on digital media was strongly associated with their children's screen time.

Given that infants are highly dependent on caregivers for their nutritional and developmental needs, maternal behaviour—particularly related to screen use—may play a critical role during the complementary feeding period. However, studies specifically exploring the link between maternal social media addiction and infants' screen exposure during feeding are limited. Understanding how maternal digital media dependency influences feeding practices can inform health education and support interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between maternal social media addiction levels and children's digital screen exposure during the complementary feeding period.

Research Questions

1. What is the level of social media addiction among mothers?

2. What is the prevalence of screen exposure among children during the complementary feeding period?

3. What are the factors associated with children's screen exposure during complementary feeding?

4. Is there a relationship between mothers' social media addiction levels and their children's screen exposure during complementary feeding?

2. Methods

2.1. Study Design and Participants

This descriptive, comparative and correlational study was conducted with mothers who applied to the paediatric outpatient clinics of a State University Hospital between May and August 2024. The hospital provides primary, secondary and tertiary care services throughout the city. It has 565 inpatient beds, 96 intensive care beds, 16 neonatal intensive care beds and 90 outpatient clinics.

Hospital records indicated that 4265 children attended the paediatric outpatient clinics between January 2022 and January 2023, and this number was used as the population size (N) for the sample size calculation. The sample size was calculated using a sample size formula (Cochran 1977). As no prior population‐based data were available regarding the prevalence of digital screen exposure during complementary feeding in the target population, an expected prevalence of p = 0.5 (q = 0.5) was assumed. This value represents the most conservative estimate and is commonly used to maximize sample size when prevalence is unknown. At a 95% confidence level (t = 1.96) and a margin of error of 0.05, the minimum required sample size was calculated to be 352 mothers. Given a potential dropout rate of 10%, the adjusted sample size was set at 387, and 390 mothers were recruited.

$$n=\frac{N{t}^2\mathit{pq}}{d^2\left(N-1\right)+t^2\mathit{pq}}$$

$$n=\frac{4265\times {\left(1.96\right)}^2\times 0.5\times 0.5}{{\left(0.05\right)}^2\left(4265-1\right)+{\left(1.96\right)}^2\times 0.5\times 0.5}=352$$

where N is the population size (4265), n is the required sample size (352), p is the estimated prevalence of digital screen exposure during complementary feeding (assumed as 0.5 due to lack of prior prevalence data), q indicates 1 − p (0.5), t is the theoretical value corresponding to the desired confidence level (1.96 for 95% confidence) and d is the acceptable margin of error (0.05).

Participants were recruited from the paediatric outpatient clinics of a university hospital. Mothers attending the clinics with their infants were informed about the study by the researchers, and those interested received detailed information about the study's aims and process. Eligibility screening was conducted prior to enrolment based on predefined inclusion criteria. Mothers aged ≥ 18 years who had at least one child aged 6–18 months, had no diagnosed mental health condition and agreed to participate were included. The infants' age range of 6–18 months was selected because this period corresponds to the complementary feeding stage, during which feeding routines and related caregiving habits are actively established in line with international infant feeding recommendations (World Health Organization 2003; World Health Organization 2021). During this stage, parental strategies are particularly relevant to infants' feeding behaviours (Pérez‐Escamilla et al. 2017; Soyer 2020).

2.2. Instruments and Data Collection

Screen Time and Complementary Feeding Information form was developed by the researchers based on the relevant literature (Duch et al. 2013; Karakul and Doğan 2021; Lauricella et al. 2015; Li et al. 2022; Ribner and McHarg 2019; Soyer 2020; Şener Taplak et al. 2020; Thompson et al. 2013). It consists of two sections: The first includes 14 questions on mothers' socio‐demographic characteristics (e.g., age and family type), and the second includes 20 questions on descriptive information about complementary feeding (e.g., maternal daily screen time and use of digital screens during child feeding). Daily screen time of children during complementary feeding and maternal daily screen duration were assessed using parent‐reported categorical items. Mothers reported average daily screen duration, categorized as ‘< 1 h’, ‘1–3 h’ or ‘> 3 h’. Both variables were analysed as categorical measures. Maternal self‐efficacy regarding complementary feeding was assessed using a single self‐reported visual analogue scale included in the Screen Time and Complementary Feeding Information Form. Mothers were asked to rate how competent they felt during the complementary feeding process on a scale from 0 (not competent at all) to 10 (very competent). For analytical purposes, responses were subsequently categorized into two groups: scores of 5 or below, indicating lower perceived self‐efficacy, and scores of 6 or above, indicating higher perceived self‐efficacy. These variables were analysed as categorical measures.

Prior to data collection, the questionnaire was piloted with 10 mothers to assess clarity, comprehensibility and wording. Based on this pilot testing, minor wording adjustments were made where necessary. Data from the pilot participants were not included in the final analysis. The Screen Time and Complementary Feeding Information Form is provided as Supporting Information S1.

Social Media Addiction Scale–Adult Form was developed by Şahin and Yağcı (2017) to assess social media addiction and was originally validated in adults aged. The 20‐item scale is structured on a 5‐point Likert scale and comprises two subdimensions: virtual tolerance and virtual communication. Based on the content of the items and the original factor structure reported by Şahin and Yağcı (2017), the ‘virtual tolerance’ subscale (Items 1–11) reflects increased and compulsive social media use and difficulties in controlling use, whereas the ‘virtual communication’ subscale (Items 12–20) reflects a preference for online communication and social interaction via social media. Total scores range from 20 to 100; higher scores indicate a higher level of perceived social media addiction. As the scale does not define clinical cut‐off points, scores were interpreted relative to the theoretical midpoint of the scale. Accordingly, scores positioned around the midpoint were described as reflecting a moderate level of social media addiction within the sample. The original scale's Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was 0.94. The scale demonstrated good psychometric properties in its original validation study, with satisfactory internal consistency and construct validity (Şahin and Yağcı 2017). In the current study, Cronbach's alpha was calculated as 0.879.

2.3. Data Analysis

The data were analysed using SPSS 24.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Given the limited evidence regarding potential confounding factors of maternal social media addiction, the analyses were conducted using an exploratory approach rather than formal hypothesis testing. We used descriptive statistics to examine participants' characteristics. We checked that the data were normally distributed using skewness, kurtosis and the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. We used an independent‐samples t‐test to compare two groups and a one‐way ANOVA to compare more than two groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine associations between mothers' social media addiction scores and continuous study variables. Statistical significance was accepted as p < 0.05.

2.4. Ethical Considerations

Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Graduate Education Institute of a State University (protocol number: E‐84026528‐050.99‐2400098618, Date: 15 April 2024). The university hospital gave permission for the research to take place (Protocol Number: E‐27222899‐811‐2400116924, Date: 09 May 2024). Informed consent was obtained from individuals who voluntarily agreed to participate. Data were collected face‐to‐face by researchers. Incomplete forms were excluded from the analysis. All procedures were conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

3. Results

3.1. Characteristics of the Sample and Comparisons With Social Media Addiction Scores

The study sample consisted of 390 mothers aged 19–46 (mean age: 29.50 ± 5.007). Most of them had a university degree (56.2%), were not employed (76.9%) and came from a nuclear family (90.8%), and 67.2% reported that their income was sufficient to cover their expenses. Furthermore, 54.6% of the mothers had one child, 52.1% continued breastfeeding, and 65.1% of their children cried for less than an hour a day.

In comparative analysis, mothers with a university degree or higher (F = 4.007, p = 0.019), those who were employed (t = −3.621, p = 0.000) and those whose infants cried for more than 1 h a day (t = −2.254, p = 0.025) had significantly higher social media addiction scores (Table 1).

TABLE 1.

Comparison of Social Media Addiction Scale scores according to mothers' socio‐demographic data (n = 390).

Characteristics	X ± SD	n	%	Scale score X ± SD	Test a	p **
Age	29.50 ± 5.007	196	50.3	44.16 ± 10.998	0.097	0.923
19–29		194	49.7	44.05 ± 10.697
30–46
Mother's educational status		57	14.6	43.37 ± 11.898	4.007	0.019
Primary school		114	29.2	41.96 ± 10.321
High school		219	56.2	45.41 ± 10.662
University and above
(3 > 2) Bonferroni
Mother's employment status		90	23.1	48.07 ± 12.311	−3.621	0.000
Employed		300	76.9	42.92 ± 10.074
Not employed
Family type		36	9.2	43.36 ± 11.845	−0.432	0.666
Extended family		354	90.8	44.18 ± 10.743
Nuclear family
Family's socio‐economic status		49	12.6	42.84 ± 11.598	1.335	0.264
Income less than expenses		262	67.2	43.84 ± 10.638
Income equals expenses		79	20.2	45.76 ± 10.957
Income greater than expenses
Number of children	1.55 ± 0.718	213	54.6	44.75 ± 11.112	1.293	0.197
1		177	45.4	43.33 ± 10.472
2 and above
Age of children (months)	12.32	209	53.6	44.12 ± 11.054	0.038	0.970
6–12	±4.562	181	46.4	44.08 ± 10.609
13–18
Gender of children		188	48.2	44.66 ± 11.257	0.984	0.326
Girl		202	51.8	43.58 ± 10.429
Boy
Breastfeeding status		203	52.1	43.93 ± 10.559	−0.330	0.741
Currently breastfeeding		187	47.9	44.29 ± 11.153
Not breastfeeding
Child crying duration	5.97 ± 77.793	254	65.1	43.20 ± 10.104	−2.254	0.025
≥ 1 h	(min)	136	34.9	45.79 ± 11.941
< 1 h

Abbreviation: X ± SD: mean ± standard deviation.

^a Independent samples t‐test/ANOVA.

^** p < 0.05, statistically significant.

3.2. Social Media Addiction of Mothers

The mean score of the mothers' Social Media Addiction Scale was 44.11 ± 10.836 (Table 2).

TABLE 2.

Mothers' Social Media Addiction Scale scores (n = 390).

Scale and subscales	X ± SD	Min–max	Scale's score range
Virtual tolerance	25.85 ± 6.602	11–49	11–55
Virtual communication	18.26 ± 5.196	9–43	9–45
Scale total score	44.11 ± 10.836	20–84	20–100

Abbreviation: X ± SD: mean ± standard deviation.

3.3. Children's Digital Screen Exposure During Transition to Complementary Feeding and Mothers' Social Media Addiction

We found that 25.1% of participants' children were exposed to digital screens during the complementary feeding period. Furthermore, 27.6% of children had daily screen time of more than 1 h. Additionally, 52.3% of mothers reported using digital screens for over an hour each day (Table 3).

TABLE 3.

Comparison of Social Media Addiction Scale scores of mothers and according to digital screen use and complementary feeding process (n = 390).

Characteristics	n	%	Scale score X ± SD	Test b	p ***
Digital screen usage during child complementary feeding	98	25.1	46.02 ± 12.361	2.030	0.043
Yes	292	74.9	43.46 ± 10.216
No
Daily screen time of children during complementary feeding (n = 98)	71	72.4	44.65 ± 11.029	3.398	0.038
< 1 h	24	24.5	48.79 ± 14.533
1–3 h	3	3.1	61.00 ± 15.133
> 3 h
(3 > 1) Bonferroni
Maternal daily screen exposure duration	186	47.7	42.09 ± 10.791	10.330	0.000
< 1 h	149	38.2	44.68 ± 10.251
1–3 h	55	14.1	49.35 ± 10.771
> 3 h
(3 > 1, 3 > 2) Games–Howell
Maternal difficulty in transitioning to complementary feeding	56	14.4	47.52 ± 13.242	4.257	0.015
Yes	271	69.5	43.14 ± 10.301
No	63	16.1	45.22 ± 10.158
Partially
(1 > 2) Bonferroni
Maternal self‐efficacy regarding complementary feeding a	56	14.4	47.84 ± 12.675	2.811	0.005
5 points and less	334	85.6	43.48 ± 10.387
6 points and above

Abbreviation: X ± SD: mean ± standard deviation.

^a 1: not at all competent–10: extremely competent.

^b Independent samples t‐test/ANOVA.

^*** p < 0.05, statistically significant.

Significant differences in social media addiction scores were determined between groups. Mothers who reported using digital screens while feeding their children (t = 2.030, p = 0.043); whose children were exposed to screens for more than 3 h daily (F = 3.398, p = 0.038); who used screens for over 3 h daily themselves (F = 10.330, p = 0.000); who experienced difficulties during the complementary feeding (F = 4.257, p = 0.015); and who had low self‐efficacy regarding complementary feeding (t = 2.811, p = 0.005) had significantly higher social media addiction scores compared with their respective comparison groups (Table 3).

We found statistically significant relationships between maternal social media addiction scores and several variables (p < 0.05). As mothers' daily screen time increased, their social media addiction levels also increased (r = 0.221, p < 0.01). However, higher use of digital screens during complementary feeding was associated with lower maternal social media addiction scores (r = −0.103, p < 0.05). We also found that as children's daily screen time increased, mothers' social media addiction scores increased (r = 0.158, p < 0.01). Additionally, mothers who reported low self‐efficacy regarding the complementary feeding process had higher daily screen time (r = −0.128, p < 0.05) and higher social media addiction scores (r = −0.148, p < 0.01; Table 4).

TABLE 4.

Relationship between some variables of mothers and Social Media Addiction Scale scores.

Variables	1. Total score	2. Daily screen time of mothers	3. Children's screen exposure during complementary feeding	4. Daily screen time of children during complementary feeding	5. Maternal difficulty in transitioning to complementary feeding	6. Maternal self‐efficacy regarding complementary feeding
1. Total score	1
2. Daily screen time of mothers	0.221**	1
3. Children's screen exposure during complementary feeding	−0.103*	−0.066	1
4. Daily screen time of children during complementary feeding	0.158**	0.121*	0.898**	1
5. Maternal difficulty in transitioning to complementary feeding	−0.052	−0.083	−0.013	−0.010	1
6. Maternal self‐efficacy regarding complementary feeding	−0.148**	−0.128*	0.028	−0.043	0.050	1

^* p < 0.05, statistically significant.

^** p < 0.01, highly statistically significant.

4. Discussion

This study revealed moderate levels of mothers' social media addiction, indicating a noticeable level of engagement with social media during early motherhood. Consistent with this finding, previous studies have reported similar patterns of social media use among mothers with young children (Emre 2024; Yılmaz 2024). Even levels of social media use positioned around the mid‐range of the scale may be meaningful in the context of early caregiving, as previous observational research suggests that screen engagement during early childhood, particularly during mealtimes, may influence parental attentiveness and the quality of feeding‐related interactions (Radesky et al. 2014; Radesky et al. 2015). The level of social media use in the present study may reflect the intensive caregiving demands of early infancy, as mothers of younger children often devote substantial time and attention to meeting their infants' basic needs, which may limit their prolonged engagement with social media. In addition, nearly half of the mothers in our study had two or more children. Having multiple children may further increase caregiving responsibilities and time constraints, potentially influencing mothers' social media use patterns.

Another significant finding of this study was that a substantial proportion of mothers reported using digital screens during complementary feeding, and many children were exposed to digital screens during early life. These findings are consistent with previous research indicating early and frequent screen exposure among infants and young children (Aslanderen 2024; Thompson et al. 2013). The relatively high prevalence of screen exposure identified in our study raises concerns about potential developmental and long‐term health risks (Mustafaoğlu et al. 2018; Rocka et al. 2022).

We found that mothers with higher education levels and those who were employed had higher social media addiction scores. Higher education and employment may correlate with greater access to and reliance on digital devices for work‐related tasks and communication, potentially increasing habitual social media use. In line with this, Lauricella et al. (2015) highlighted the central role of parental media engagement in shaping the family environment, rather than focusing solely on individual screen time. These findings may reflect the challenges educated and working mothers face in balancing digital engagement with parenting responsibilities. Importantly, however, higher maternal social media use does not necessarily translate into greater screen exposure for children. Mothers with higher levels of education may also be more aware of the developmental risks associated with excessive screen exposure in children. Consistent with this, Pons et al. (2020) found that higher maternal education was associated with lower recreational screen time among children aged 2–14 years. These characteristics may enhance the potential effectiveness of health professional‐led interventions to promote appropriate screen use during child feeding. Higher educational attainment may also be associated with greater health literacy and engagement with evidence‐based counselling. However, it should be noted that the high educational profile of the sample limits the representativeness of these findings and may influence observed patterns of social media use.

Digital screens may temporarily distract infants, facilitating feeding, which may reinforce mothers' reliance on screens. We found that mothers whose children cry for more than an hour a day showed higher social media addiction scores. Mothers who reported difficulties during complementary feeding and those with lower self‐efficacy regarding complementary feeding had higher social media addiction scores. In addition, according to correlational analysis, we found that as mothers' daily screen time increased, their self‐efficacy decreased. These findings align with previous research suggesting that lower parental self‐efficacy is associated with higher screen exposure in children. However, it should be noted that although the present findings are specifically related to feeding‐related self‐efficacy, previous studies have primarily focused on broader forms of parental self‐efficacy or self‐efficacy in limiting screen use. For example, parental self‐efficacy in setting screen limits has been linked to lower screen viewing among children (Jago et al. 2015), and higher parenting self‐efficacy has been associated with reduced screen use (Pyne et al. 2025). Campbell et al. (2010) reported that mothers' self‐efficacy, limiting screen exposure and unhealthy feeding practices may decline during the early years of a child's life. Additionally, they found that high maternal self‐efficacy in limiting screen exposure correlates with healthier feeding habits and decreased screen time in children. It may be understandable that parents who have difficulty caring for their babies and have low self‐efficacy may turn to social media to cope with this situation. Supporting this, Onishi et al. (2023) found that mothers with high parental self‐efficacy experienced increased relief and reduced anxiety by using smart devices to address concerns about child‐rearing practices. Taken together, these findings suggest that although different dimensions of self‐efficacy have been examined across studies, maternal feeding‐related self‐efficacy and perceived caregiving challenges may play a role in shaping digital media use patterns in early infancy.

Recent studies have highlighted an increasing trend of maternal screen use during infant feeding. Mason et al. (2024) demonstrated that mothers who used digital media while breastfeeding paid less attention to their infants, thereby negatively affecting the quality of mother–infant interaction. Similarly, Inoue et al. (2021) reported that habitual smartphone use during breastfeeding may be associated with negative emotions towards their children and bonding problems. In the present study, many mothers reported regular daily screen use and higher social media addiction scores. From a feeding perspective, excessive maternal screen use may interfere with responsive feeding, which depends on caregivers' ability to recognize and appropriately respond to infants' hunger and satiety cues (Black and Aboud 2011; DiSantis et al. 2011). When feeding is facilitated or distracted by screen viewing, caregivers may be less attuned to these cues, potentially leading to overfeeding, disrupted self‐regulation and less optimal dietary patterns (Vaughn et al. 2016). Such disruptions in responsive feeding have been associated with adverse nutritional outcomes, including an increased risk of childhood overweight and obesity (Mustafaoğlu et al. 2018; Rocka et al. 2022). In this context, excessive maternal screen time may affect both emotional responsiveness during feeding and early nutritional development.

The current study identified a statistically significant association between mothers' daily screen exposure duration and children's screen time, as indicated by a Pearson correlation analysis. This finding aligns with Thompson et al. (2013) and Lauricella et al. (2015), who similarly found associations between parents' and children's screen usage. This finding highlights the potential influence of parental behaviours within the family context, rather than implying direct prediction and causation. Parental practices during early childhood may therefore be relevant when considering strategies to limit excessive screen exposure from an early age. Although group comparisons indicated higher maternal social media addiction scores in certain subgroups, these differences may be influenced by variations in analytical approaches and subgroup distributions.

4.1. Strengths and Limitations of the Study

This study is among the few that focus on children's direct experiences of digital screen exposure during complementary feeding and their maternal social media relationships. The use of a validated scale to measure social media addiction and transparent, clearly described statistical analysis constitute key strengths of the study. Importantly, the findings have practical implications for nurses, midwives and public health practitioners who provide evidence‐based guidance and counselling to families during the complementary feeding period. By highlighting the role of maternal screen use, the study may inform parental education and counselling strategies to promote responsive feeding practices and reduce screen exposure during infant feeding.

However, the study has some limitations. Generalizability is limited because the study was conducted at a single hospital in a region of Türkiye. The findings of the study should be interpreted within the context of the study setting and sample characteristics. Another limitation of this study is that the sample consisted predominantly of mothers with a relatively high level of education, which may reflect a sampling bias. This educational profile may not fully reflect the broader population of mothers and could limit the generalizability of the findings, as parental education level is known to influence both digital media use and feeding‐related practices. Also, the data were based on self‐reported measures of mothers. Responses could be influenced by social desirability bias, recall bias or limited understanding of the questions. The current study was an exploratory analysis and used univariable statistical tests. Therefore, although several socio‐demographic and feeding‐related variables were assessed, the analyses did not allow for mutual adjustment for potential confounders, as would be possible with multivariable regression models. Furthermore, true confounder status requires clear consensus in the literature on which variables should be considered core confounders in analyses of maternal social media addiction, specifically in relation to complementary feeding. As such, potential confounding was not controlled in the present analysis, and the findings should be considered with caution. Larger‐scale studies with multivariable and longitudinal analyses are warranted to examine the independent associations in greater depth and thereby reduce residual confounding.

4.2. Implications for Practice

These findings suggest that health professionals, particularly nurses and midwives, may consider addressing digital media use as part of parental guidance during complementary feeding. Raising awareness about potential developmental risks of early screen exposure and encouraging non‐screen–based feeding strategies may support healthier feeding interactions.

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, this study revealed that mothers of children aged 6–18 months may exhibit moderate levels of social media addiction, and that digital screen exposure during complementary feeding is not uncommon. Maternal screen time was associated with children's screen exposure, with variations observed across several socio‐demographic and feeding‐related characteristics, including maternal education and employment status, infant crying duration, feeding difficulties and maternal self‐efficacy. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, given the cross‐sectional design and the relatively small, setting‐specific sample, which limits the generalizability of the results.

These findings highlight the importance of incorporating digital media literacy into parental education, particularly for nurses and midwives who are in key positions to support families during early childhood. Future studies involving larger and more diverse samples are needed to examine the long‐term developmental outcomes of screen exposure during feeding and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions targeting maternal screen behaviours.

Author Contributions

Bahise Aydın: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, supervision, writing – review and editing. Hatice Sarı: data curation, writing ‐ original draft, methodology, conceptualization, project administration. Dilara Kurt: data curation, writing ‐ original draft, methodology, conceptualization. Fatma Çolak: data curation, writing ‐ original draft, methodology, conceptualization.

Funding

This research has been supported as a Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu 2209‐A project 2023 second‐term application (1919B012333354).

Ethics Statement

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Graduate Education Institute of a university (Protocol Number: E‐84026528‐050.99‐2400098618).

Consent

All participants provided informed consent before participating in the study.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Permission to Reproduce Material From Other Sources

Permission was taken from the authors by email to use the Social Media Addiction Scale–Adult Form for this study.

Supporting information

Data S1: Mothers' screen time and complementary feeding information form.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.