Saying “screen time” may be the easiest way to get today’s parents to cringe – either from guilt, annoyance, or the expectation of yet more advice on a very complex topic.
A new analysis published by the American Psychological Association sought to clarify and untangle our understanding of how screens affect children. The systematic review and meta-analysis, conducted by an international team of researchers, examined 117 studies; data covered more than 292,000 children worldwide.
Three key findings:
- A child’s dependence on screens may create problems, but it may also be a symptom.
- Not all screen time is created equal.
- Screens aren’t all bad. (Yep, you read that right!)
Certainly, screen use can lead to socioemotional problems, such as acting out in ways that would be expected of a younger child. And on the flip side, children who have socioemotional problems may turn to screens as a way to cope — and not a productive one in the longer term.
If your child seems to struggle with socioemotional problems tied to screens, it is worth putting some thought into whether a screen or an underlying emotional struggle is the root cause.
Small effects accumulate over time, and gaming in particular showed a greater tie to socioemotional problems.
“Relationships between gaming and socioemotional problems were strong in both directions, suggesting games might be a particular area of focus for parents, researchers, and policymakers,” researchers wrote. “Our findings emphasize the importance of teaching children with alternate methods of coping with socioemotional problems rather than resorting to screens.”
(More productive options to practice might be, depending on your child’s personality, a deep breathing exercise such as box breathing, a burst of physical activity, a creative outlet such as drawing or writing, talking with a trusted adult, a long hug, problem-solving activities, or naming one thing noticed for each of the five senses.)
Notably, content, context and motivation for using a screen matter. Monitored and modest amounts of screen time — particularly if it’s educational or enjoyed as a family — posed minimal risk of socioemotional problems. A key barometer was whether screen time displaced necessary activities such as sleep, exercise and social interactions.
“Our findings support screen time guidelines that not only limit exposure time but also emphasize content quality and a positive social context,” researchers wrote. “Parents should consider monitoring not just how long children are on screens, but also what they are doing and who they are interacting with.”
As you adjust to summer schedules and extra free time for kids, keep in mind the nuances of screen time. A fantastic way to engage your kids (screen-free!) is to join our Summer Bingo Challenge! In addition to pursuing a bingo, kids can join contests (complete the colored spaces on the bingo board and submit them at that link) for chances to win fun prizes or be featured in our end-of-summer magazine.
Pariva Health has helped more than 25,000 families of neurodivergent children and counting — find out more about the ways in which we empower families, offering hope and help, with lots of play and no wait list.