Experts Say ‘How Much’ is the Wrong Way to Assess Screen Time

Way back in the late 1990s—not long after home Internet use became widespread in the U.S.—researchers started turning up links between time spent on computers and poor mental health. A 1998 study in the journal CyberPsychology and Behavior found heavy internet use—defined as 38 hours or more of non-work, non-school online activity—was associated with “significant social, psychological, and occupational impairments.” The study authors wrote that such use “caused detrimental effects such as poor grade performance among students, discord among couples, and reduced work performance among employees.” Flash forward two decades, and researchers continue to find connections between heavy screen use and negative outcomes. A 2017 study of U.S. adults found spending six hours or more a day watching TV or using computers was associated with a higher risk for depression. And a study published last year found young people who spend seven hours or more a day interacting with screens are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety as those who use screens more moderately. Spending lots of time on social media may be especially risky. A 2018 study from the University of Pennsylvania found students who trimmed their use of social media to 30 minutes a day experienced significant improvements in wellbeing. At the same time, much of the research on screens is controversial. There’s expert disagreement about whether heavy scree...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Children's Health screentime technology Wellness Source Type: news