In today’s Health Alert, a new study shows that too much screen time can have a negative impact on children’s emotional and social well-being. The research specifically calls out video games as one of the main risk factors for children to develop behavioral issues.
We’ve been warning for years about the health dangers of kids spending too much time on their electronic devices.
This was a major study looking at data collected between 1972 and 2024 on nearly 300,000 children around the world. The results were just published in the academic journal “Psychological Bulletin.”
Here’s what the research found: Children who spent more time using devices such as TVs, tablets, computers and gaming consoles were at higher risk of developing emotional and behavioral problems later in life. These issues include aggression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
Gaming is a particular concern. The research showed that kids who frequently used gaming consoles were linked to an even greater chance of developing emotional issues as opposed to other screen activities like watching TV or using educational apps.
There’s one other interesting fact. The study found the connection between screen time and a child’s well-being was true in reverse, as well. Children who were already experiencing emotional or social challenges tended to spend more time on all types of screens.
We know it’s not practical to eliminate screen time altogether for children. So, what is a reasonable solution for parents?
In a world that thrives on technology, it’s not feasible for us parents to take away our kids’ computers, tablets, phones and TVs. But we can set some limits and boundaries.
A moderate amount of screen time is fine for children, especially when used for educational purposes. In fact, experts say reasonable use of the devices lowers the risk for future emotional or social issues.
So, what is too much screen time? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children between the ages of 2 and 5 limit their recreational screen use to one hour per day during the week and 3 hours on weekends.
One other piece of advice is to encourage your children to put away the devices and interact more with friends and family, take part in some physical activities, and get a good night’s sleep. All these things will help them develop good social and emotional skills.
