Canadian children are spending too much time on screens, and new evidence shows that all that scrolling and ‘liking’ is having a negative impact on their mental health.
A study published this summer by Western University staff found a modest association between total screen time and what researchers called “negative internalizing behaviors,” or symptoms of anxiety and stress in children. It suggests that.
The association between screen time and anxiety is even stronger if parents experience high stress levels, researchers said.
“We found that some children have been hit the hardest during the pandemic,” Emma Durden, one of the study authors, told CTV National News.
She said the latest research suggests some children who may have undiagnosed mental health conditions are even more at risk.
The study analyzed the behavior of more than 100 Canadian children between the ages of 6 and 12 and found that on average children spend about four hours a day using television, smartphones and tablets. found.
This is significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels and Duerden said it had not fallen much from the peak of the first round of COVID-19 lockdowns.
“Truly habitual screen users, kids who are constantly checking their phones, are activating areas of the brain that are associated with punishment as well as reward,” she says. “They’re constantly being informed when their brains are really developing, and teenagers in particular are very sensitive to rewards.”
Pediatrician Dr. Michelle Ponti told CTV National News that this study supports what she is working on in clinical practice.
“We see kids with anxiety and kids who are depressed. We see kids with body image issues and eating disorders walk through our office doors every day. I’m watching,” she said. “The other thing we’re seeing is parents who are suffering.”
Ponti, a member of the Canadian Pediatric Society’s Digital Health Task Force, called the new study “high-quality Canadian data” that will help guide pediatricians talking to parents about social media and technology use. Stated.
A task force on Friday called on the federal government to get more involved in regulating excessive technology use among young people.
“It’s much bigger than individual parents and children and families,” she said. “We are urging policymakers to create stricter regulations and restrictions on what apps are suitable for children.”
The group called on the federal government to tighten standards in age verification policies, limit the type of data that can be collected in Canada and tighten restrictions on ads that can be shown to children.
Ponti recommends parents find effective strategies and stick to them, such as keeping cell phones out of the bedroom.
“I often recommend picking just one thing, one strategy, that you can do, because it’s hard to suppress it.”
