March 16 (UPI) — Children who spend more time using handheld devices and computers or watching television are more likely to exhibit behavioral problems such as aggression, attention difficulties, anxiety and depression, according to an analysis published Wednesday by JAMA Psychiatry found.
In the review of data from 87 studies with nearly 160,000 participants aged 12 and younger, more screen time during the day was associated with up to a 20 percent higher risk of behavioral problems, the data showed.
Behavioral problems exhibited by children with more screen time included aggression and “inattention,” the researchers said.
Children who spent more time using devices with screens, including phones, tablets, computers and televisions, were also more likely to show symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to the researchers.
“When children under the age of 12 are in front of screens for too many hours in a day, it may be associated with some behavioral problems, such as aggression or sadness,” study co-author Sheri Madigan told UPI in an email. .
The problem, however, is not just “length of screen time” but also “how children interact with screens,” said Madigan, Canada research professor in the determinants of child development at the University of Calgary.
In 2020, the American Academy of Pediatrics relaxed its screen time guidelines to focus more on the quality of screen time rather than the length.
The new guidelines encouraged parents, caregivers and educators to engage with children in their screen-based media consumption and promote “meaningful” use, Madigan and colleagues said.
Positive or significant uses of screen devices include those that involve education, keeping up with news and current events or connecting with friends and family, the researchers said.
Even “watching a movie with your siblings or playing with friends online” can be “meaningful,” in moderation, Madigan said.
“When children use screens as a means to connect with others, the association between screen time and children’s behavioral problems has been found to be weaker,” he said.
Still, recent studies have found that increased screen time, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to a increase in mental health disorders and behavioral problems among youth in the United States.
Increases in screen time have also been linked to decreased physical activity in previous investigations.
“When children look at screens for a long time, it is thought that it leaves them less time to engage in other activities that we know are important for healthy development, such as physical activity, sleep and offline activities such as reading and doing homework,” Madigan said. she said she.
Increased screen time can also have a negative impact on “positive social interactions with others,” he said.
For this analysis, Madigan and colleagues analyzed data from 87 studies conducted in various countries, including the United States.
All of the included studies were published before the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to the researchers.
“Many pandemic-related studies have reported that children’s recreational screen time has doubled during the pandemic,” Madigan said. “So we can actually see the partnerships getting stronger as the pandemic continues.”
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