Screen Use in Classroom Attitudes Study

Students and educators are expressing concerns about the extensive use of screens in classrooms, with kindergartners watching lessons on YouTube, middle-schoolers using Chromebooks for writing drills and high-schoolers collaborating on Google Docs. Some students say the reliance on technology is distracting and hinders learning, while teachers say it is challenging to keep students engaged.

Media Use and Screen Time - Its Impact on Children, Adolescents, and Families. (2020). American College of Pediatricians.

https://acpeds.org/position-statements/media-use-and-screen-time-its-impact-on-children-adolescents-and-families

 

Screen time study

 A recent study found that reducing screen time among children and teens led to fewer behavioral difficulties, with noticeable decreases in peer-related and emotional issues and improvements in positive social interactions. Findings showed that the total difficulties score, which measures behavioral and emotional issues, decreased by an average of 1.67 points more in the intervention group than in the control group.

Schmidt-Perrson, J. (2024). Short-term screen time reduction improves mental health in children and adolescents. JAMA Network Open. 

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/short-term-screen-time-reduction-improves-mental-health-2024a1000d19?form=fpf

Children's Screen Time study

A study surveyed parents in 2020 and 2021 about their children’s use of technology and social media during the pandemic. The study focused on youth younger than 12. Between 2020 and 2021 children used digital devices and social media more, and parents increasingly expressed worry about the amount of time their child was spending on those devices. Parents became more aware of their children's online use, and some changed their monitoring habits: either being more restrictive or more lenient. 

McClain, C. (2022). How parents' views of their kids' screen time, social media use changed during COVID-19.   Pew Research Center.

https://pewrsr.ch/3Koo0qU

Screentime Impact

A national survey finds that Americans of all ages are spending more time sitting. Overall, people reported sitting a lot. For instance, close to two-thirds of children and teens said they sat at least two hours a day watching television or videos. The data also showed that computer use outside of school or work has been increasing across all ages. For adults and teens, the estimated total time sitting increased by nearly one hour a day between 2007 and 2016. That means teens now sit more than eight hours a day. Sitting too much — especially when watching television, phones or other screens — can be bad for your health, research suggests. It has been linked to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. It also has been tied to an increased risk of mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression.
Yang, L. et al. (2019, April 23). Trends in sedentary behavior among the US population, 2001-2016. Journal of the American Medical Association, 321, 1587.

Global Cognition and Movement in Youth

A new study on children across the U.S., published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, finds that when they spend more than two hours on screens every day, they tend to perform more poorly on tests of cognition. Meeting the 24-hour movement recommendations was associated with superior global cognition. These findings highlight the importance of limiting recreational screen time and encouraging healthy sleep to improve cognition in children.

Walsh, J. J., Barners, J. D., Cameron, J. D., Goldfield, G. S., Chaput, J., Gunnell, K. E., Ledoux, A., Zemek, R. L., & Tremblay, M. S. (2018). Associations between 24 hour movement behaviours and global cognition in US children: A cross-sectional observational study. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2(11), 783-791. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30278-5

Health Risks in Using Technology Excessively

According to a study by the American College of Pediatricians, while the limited use of high-quality and developmentally appropriate media may have a positive influence, excessive or developmentally inappropriate use carries grave health risks for children and their families. Excessive exposure to screens (television, smartphones, computers, and video game consoles), especially at early ages, has been associated with lower academic performance, increased sleep problems, obesity, behavior problems, increased aggression, lower self-esteem. depression, and increased high risk behaviors, including sexual activity at an earlier age.  The American College of Pediatricians encourages parents to become media literate and limit all screen time for their children. Parents, too, must limit their own screen time, especially the use of smartphones, to improve their interaction and engagement with their children, as well as to assure the physical safety of their children.  The College encourages pediatricians to discuss the impact of media with all families, and calls upon the media industry, sponsors, educators, and policymakers to act responsibly to protect the physical and emotional health of children and families.

American College of Pediatricians (2016). The impact of media use and screen time on children, adolescents, and families. Gainesville, FL: American College of Pediatricians. https://www.acpeds.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/11.9.16-The-Impact-of-Media-Use-and-Screen-Time-on-Children-updated-with-ref-64.pdf

Smartphone Usage Leads to Less Sleep for Teens

According to one particular study, more teenagers are sleeping fewer than seven hours per night as a result of their smartphones. These results point to an increase in adolescents’ use of screen time before sleep that has occurred between 2009 and 2015.

Key Findings:

·       More adolescents in 2015 compared to 2009 slept less than 7 hours a night on most nights.

·       Electronic device and social media use increased from 2009–2015.

·       Electronic device and social media use increases the odds of short sleep duration.

·       Smartphones may be the cause of the increase in self-reported short sleep duration.

Given the results from this study, public health interventions should consider electronic device use as a target of intervention to improve adolescent health and education.

Twenge, J. M. (2017). Decreases in self-reported sleep duration among U.S. adolescents 2009–2015 and association with new media screen time. Sleep Medicine, (39), 47-53. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2017.08.013