Screen time

Screen time is the amount of time spent using a device such as a computer, television, or video game console. It can be an element of a sedentary lifestyle.

Screen time and children

How much screen time a child receives may depend on socioeconomic status and race. Too much screen time can affect a child's health. Research in the United States states that African-American (69%) and Hispanic (68%) children have rates of a television in the bedroom that are twice as high compared to white children (28%).[1] Children consume an extra 167 calories per day for every hour of television viewing.[2] TV viewing also causes an increase in fast food consumption and more time spent playing video game is linked to an increase in weight in children.[3] The key to screen time is to balance screen time and active time, and a child will have no problems.

The study of increased screen time in children is fairly new[4] and we have not been observing the effects long enough to make a solid conclusion on the fact that it will lead to negative consequences as the child grows up.

Screen Time and Sleep Disturbances

With the increased amount of technology in the home comes an increase of certain specific health effects due to the fact that the accumulated amount of daily screen time in children ages 8 to 18 has grown from 5 hours to 8 hours since 1996 to present.[5] Some of the health effects that can be brought about with increased screen time are lack of sleep due to late bedtimes, arousal from media sources which leads the inability to sleep, daytime tiredness, trouble internalizing and/or externalizing problems according to the study done by Justin Parent.[5] The light from electronic screens can effect the circadian rhythm of children and disrupt alertness directly which is why the American academy of pediatrics only recommends children get a max of 2 hours of screen time a day. For young children ages 3–7 the amount of sleep disturbances greatly increases after 6 hours of screen time, and for children 8-12 the amount of sleep disturbances greatly increased after the 10 hour mark. After 4 or 6 hours of daily screen time sleep duration drops for adolescence age 13-17

References

  1. ↑ Rideout, V. (2011). Zero to eight: Children’s media use in America . San Francisco, CA: Commonsense Media. Further analysis of original data published by Commonsense Media was conducted on October 4, 2012 by Melissa Saphir and Vicky Rideout at the request of this publication. . page 26. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-to-eight-childrens-media-use-in-america
  2. ↑ Wiecha, Jean L.; Peterson, Karen E.; Ludwig, David S.; Kim, Juhee; Sobol, Arthur; Gortmaker, Steven L. (2006). "When Children Eat What They Watch". Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 160 (4): 436. doi:10.1001/archpedi.160.4.436.
  3. ↑ Taveras, E. M.; Sandora, T. J.; Shih, M. C.; Ross-Degnan, D; Goldmann, D. A.; Gillman, M. W. (2006). "The association of television and video viewing with fast food intake by preschool-age children". Obesity. 14 (11): 2034–41. doi:10.1038/oby.2006.238. PMID 17135621.
  4. ↑ Moffat, P (2014). "Screen time. How much is healthy for children?". Community practitioner : the journal of the Community Practitioners' & Health Visitors' Association. 87 (11): 16–8. PMID 25612409.
  5. 1 2 Parent, J; Sanders, W; Forehand, R (2016). "Youth Screen Time and Behavioral Health Problems: The Role of Sleep Duration and Disturbances". Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. 37 (4): 277–84. doi:10.1097/DBP.0000000000000272. PMC 4851593Freely accessible. PMID 26890562.

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