It’s a fairly common concern amongst parents and educators that children are spending more time than ever before on their screens. From laptops, phones and tablets to portable consoles and gaming devices, leisure time has become increasingly screen-based, and after a year of social distancing and remote learning, it’s at higher levels than ever before.
Questions have been raised about excessive screen use and mental health for many years, and previous papers have shown an association between an increase in anxiety and prolonged screen usage - however some new research from the US proposes that this connection may not be as pronounced as previously thought.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Institute for Behavioural Genetics analysed 11,875 9 and 10 year olds in what is to date the longest-term study ever undertaken in the US. There have been some interesting findings: not only has the data identified that there’ is a difference in how boys and girls use their screens (boys spending around 45 minutes extra time on their devices a day), and whilst boys spend a larger portion of their online time gaming, girls tend to spend longer on social media and messaging. The study data was collected prior to the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic and doesn’t take into account time spent on devices for homework and online learning purposes.
Whilst similar studies have, according to UK news outlet Metro, linked excessive screen use with exacerbating conditions such as ADHD, Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, the data from the study concluded that the influence of screen time is minute compared to other factors shaping children’s lives. For instance, a child’s socioeconomic status has 2.5 times greater impact on such behavioural outcomes – and of all the influences assessed, screen time only actually accounted for a scant 2% of the variation between children in terms of the outcomes measured.
One of the report’s co-authors, Professor John Hewitt, is a behavioural geneticist and a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder. He commented that “A number of papers in recent years have suggested that screen time might be harmful for children, but there have also been some reviews that suggest those negative effects have been overestimated.
‘Using this extensive data set, we found that yes, there are relationships between screen time and negative outcomes, but they are not large and not dire.”
It’s a conclusion to dedicate some thought to: whilst excessive screen time is something to be considered, it’s also proved a vital way of keeping learning going during the pandemic, and reaffirming vital social bonds in an era where many have not been able to socialise in person and meet in their classrooms and campuses. But there are other things to consider too, such as the negative impact on body image and self-esteem that social media often has, and a growing trend towards sedentary living in children and young people. Whilst screen use in of itself may not have as dire negative effects and studies have previously suggested, it may still be something to view with a little caution – however with so many learning aids, creative outlets and assistive technology solutions reliant on screened devices, it remains to be seen how much it can be avoided too.
You can read the study in its entirety at the open journal PLOS ONE. If you’re concerned about extensive screen time and its effects on the young people in your life, you can check out the Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health guidelines on the subject here.