One hour daily. This is the amount of time of exposure to screens that would be enough for children and teens to begin to lose curiosity, have less self-control, less emotional stability and greater difficulty completing tasks, according to a report published this month in Preventative Medicine Reports. Researchers at San Diego State University and the University of Georgia (US) investigated link between screen time and diagnoses of anxiety and depression in younger children . Their results confirm previous studies, which showed that excess screens make children more depressed.
“Previous research on the associations between screen time and the psychological well-being of children and adolescents has been contradictory, leading some researchers to question the limits of screen time suggested by doctors’ organizations ”, state psychologist Jean Twenge and psychology professor Keith Campbell in their study. For example, the Canadian Pediatric Society recommends limiting screen time from 5 to 17 years to two hours per day. In France, the interministerial mission to combat drugs and addictive behavior advises to rely on the 3-6-9-12 rule, developed by Serge Tisseron.
Twice as likely to be anxious or depressed
Using data from a 2016 U.S. National Child Health Survey, researchers analyzed a random sample of more than 40,300 responses from children ages 2 to 17. They found that teens who spent more than seven hours a day in front of screens were twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression than those who spent only an hour there. Moderate screen use – four hours a day – was also associated with lower psychological well-being. Among teens aged 14 to 17, 42.2% of those who spent more than seven hours a day did not complete their tasks, compared to 16.6% of those who spent an hour there.
Overall, the association between time spent in front of a smartphone, tablet or television and well-being was greater among adolescents than among young children. According to the researchers, this is due to the fact that adolescents consult social media more. Other research has shown that this activity is more closely linked to a low level of well-being than watching TV or videos, they explain.
Jean Twenge and Keith Campbell finally insist on prevention. “Half of all mental health problems develop in adolescence, they worry in their report. It is therefore absolutely necessary to identify the factors related to the mental health problems susceptible of intervention in this population, since most antecedents are difficult, if not impossible to influence. “ This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to include video game disorders in its 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Addiction is henceforth classified in the “disease” category. She invites to “The increased attention of health professionals on the risks of developing this disorder”.
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