It’s time to take a closer look at children’s screen time habits. With new research emerging daily on the mental health impacts of excessive screen use, a recent study suggests alarming findings: children aged 9 and 10 face increased risks of depression and anxiety with screen use.
In a long-term study conducted by UC San Francisco, researchers followed up with 9,538 participants for around two years to understand the mental health impact of screen use. The participants were 9 or 10 years old at the beginning of the study. Using mixed-effects models, the researchers analyzed associations between baseline self-reported screen use and parent-reported mental health symptoms using the Child Behavior Checklist.
The study found that higher total screen time was associated with an increase in various mental health symptoms. Specifically, each additional hour of screen time correlated with a 10% increase in depressive symptoms, a 7% increase in conduct symptoms, and a 6% increase in somatic symptoms. Also, with each additional hour of screen time, there was a 6% increase risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms.
The researchers noted that although the effects were small, the impact was consistent. They also observed that among screen activities, video chat, texting, watching videos, and video games were the types of use that had the greatest associations with depressive symptoms.
“Screen use may replace time spent engaging in physical activity, sleep, socializing in-person and other behaviors that reduce depression and anxiety,” explained the lead author Dr. Jason Nagata in a news release.
When comparing the impact of screen time on different racial groups, the study found that White participants exhibited stronger associations between screen time and symptoms of depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder compared to Black participants. Whites also showed a more pronounced link between screen time and depressive symptoms compared to their Asian peers. However, the study found no differences in these associations based on sex.
“For minority adolescents, screens and social media may play a different role, serving as important platforms to connect with peers who share similar backgrounds and experiences. Rather than displacing in-person relationships, technology may help them expand their support networks beyond what’s accessible in their immediate environment,” Nagata said.
The researchers believe that to mitigate the risk, parents can play an essential role by developing a Family Media Use Plan that considers the unique needs of each child as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
