![]() Perhaps neither one: When looking at the strength of the correlations, we see only very modest associations. Taken at face value, these contrasting positive and negative correlations are confusing. Our study also found negative correlations: More screen time predicted higher levels of attention problems, worse sleep, poorer academic performance and an increase in aggression and misbehavior. Parents often worry that the technology adversely impacts youngsters, particularly those entering adolescence – a critical period of development. ![]() children are spending more time on screens than ever before. Radovanovic96 via Getty Images Why it matters Many parents are concerned their children spend too much time on screens. Social screen use may drive that association video gaming, for instance, is a social activity that seems to foster more friendships. Greater amounts of screen time were associated with stronger peer relationships for both boys and girls – both have more male and female friends. Our results, recently published in the journal PLOS One, found no association between screens and a child’s depression or anxiety. We investigated how screen time was linked to some of the most critical aspects of their lives: sleep, mental health, behavior and friendships. The participants included children between the ages of 9 to 10, from diverse backgrounds, income levels and ethnicities. That’s what my colleagues and I at the University of Colorado Boulder discovered after analyzing data taken from nearly 12,000 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study – the largest long-term study of its kind ever in the U.S. The big ideaĮven when kids spend five hours a day on screen – whether computers, television or text – it doesn’t appear to be harmful. The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
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