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Screen time may not be the way to soothe a child’s temper tantrum, according to new research.

A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests frequently using smartphones or TV shows to calm a child at difficult moments may lead to emotional regulation issues down the road.

“When you see your 3- to 5-year-old having a tough emotional moment, meaning they are screaming and crying about something, they’re getting frustrated, they might be hitting or kicking or lying on the floor … If your go-to strategy is to distract them or get them to be quiet by using media, then this study suggests that is not helping them in the long term,” Dr. Jenny Radesky, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and lead author of the study, told CNN.

The study analyzed how frequently 422 parents and caregivers used devices to pacify their children — between 3 and 5 years old — and how it affected their behavior over a six-month period.

Dr. Radesky pointed out to CNN that using devices to quiet difficult emotions is a lost opportunity for the child to learn how to cope with them and could encourage them to misbehave to get what they want.

“I’m just going to show big emotions so we can stop what we’re doing, and I can escape this demand,” she said.

Radesky suggested parents should teach their children how to respond to emotions by taking them somewhere quiet to process their behavior and thoughts.

“You’re not being bad for having big emotions, you just need to reset. We all need to reset sometimes,” she explained to CNN.

The World Health Organization also does not recommend children spend hours in front of the screen: Infants under the age of 1 should avoid it altogether and those under 4 should limit their time with screens.

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