Spending too much time on screens may cause emotional and behavioral problems in children – and those problems can lead to even more screen use, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Conducted by an international team of researchers, the study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed 117 studies, encompassing data from over 292,000 children worldwide. The findings were published in the journal Psychological Bulletin.
Children are spending more and more time on screens, for everything from entertainment to homework to messaging friends. We found that increased screen time can lead to emotional and behavioral problems, and kids with those problems often turn to screens to cope."
Michael Noetel, PhD, associate professor in the School of Psychology at Queensland University and one of the authors of the study
Noetel and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to better understand the relationship between screen time and socio-emotional problems, like aggression, anxiety, or low self-confidence. They included any study with participants under 10 years of age that measured screen use and socio-emotional problems, where children were followed-up for at least six months. Screen-based activities included social media, video games, TV watching and online homework.
