Author: Robby Berman / Source: Big Think
- Leading pediatricians say the assumption that screen time is behind problems is not really supported by research.
- The danger has more to do with a screen being a gateway for unwanted intrusions into a child’s life.
- While recommendations are difficult based on the limited amount of research that has been done, the report offers a few.
It’s impossible to be a perfect parent, however hard you try. One thing that has a lot of parents feeling continually guilty is the amount of time their kids spend staring at screens. It’s mind-boggling. Or is it? A report from the UK’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) concludes that there’s little hard evidentiary basis for concern about those screens themselves, at least for 11-24 year-olds. (Its effects on younger children are not considered in the study.) The researchers examined “940 abstracts, with 12 systematic reviews,” noting that most of those look only at the effects of watching lots of TV.
What’s on kids’ screens, however, is another story. Ultimately, the purpose of the report is to offer guidance to parents while calling for more granular research into the documented effects that extended screen times can seem to have on young people.
How many hours are we talking about?
Children and young adults find themselves in front of screens all day. Between computers at school, computers they use for homework, phones, and TV, it’s pretty relentless. According to the study, the average person in the group they studied — 109 UK respondents from ages 11 to 24 — spends 7.5 hours a day basking in the cold glow of a device.
(RCPCH)
Correlation or causality?
Earlier research examined for the report finds correlations between more than two hours of screen time and poor diet, and a negative effect on mental health, with an increased likelihood of depression. There’s also some hint of a connection to reduced educational outcomes and sleep and fitness, though the authors describe this as “weak.” The study’s respondents had their own views of the cost.
(RCPCH)
So is there a connection?
The report says that presented with some kind of connection, there are four possible interpretations. Quoting the report:
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