A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has spread widely throughout the world. To reduce the spread of infection, children are prevented from going to school and have fewer opportunities for in-person communication. Although the pandemic has impacted the everyday lives of children, its impact on their development is unknown. This pre-registered study compared Japanese children's socio-emotional skills and skills for operating digital devices before and during the pandemic. Parents completed a

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... d questionnaire before and during the pandemic for children ages 0-9. The results indicated that during the pandemic, children were more prosocial, experienced more problems in their peer relationships, and had better digital skills, but no differences were found in emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity between before and during the pandemic. The change in digital skills was mediated by the duration of children's media use. Overall, our results suggest the pandemic may have immediate impact on children's socio-emotional and digital skills.