Restricting screen time is essential for promoting children's physical health, social skills, and overall development. Can these benefits manifest in just a few days? A new study revealed that reducing screen time to three hours per week can swiftly enhance children's mental well-being and behavior.
According to the study conducted by Dr. Jesper Schmidt-Persson from the University of Southern Denmark and his team, the mental health benefits from limiting screen time in kids will be observable in as little as two weeks.
The findings were based on the evaluation of 181 participants between the ages of four and 17 from 89 families. Half of the participants were asked to limit their leisure screen time to a maximum of three hours per week for two weeks, while the rest of the participants were asked to carry on with their usual screen media habits. It is important to note that the restricted screen time did not encompass essential uses such as schoolwork or homework, but specifically targeted recreational screen activities.
After the trial period, the children in the intervention group demonstrated notable improvement in their behavior and emotional well-being. Utilizing the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), researchers observed a reduction in behavioral challenges equivalent to transitioning from the "borderline" to the "normal" category within two weeks.
Significant improvements were observed in emotional issues and peer difficulties, as well as in prosocial behavior, showing that reducing screen time may aid children in managing emotions and enhancing social interactions.
"This secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial found that a short-term reduction in leisure-time screen media use within families positively affected the psychological symptoms of children and adolescents, particularly by mitigating internalizing behavioral issues and enhancing prosocial behavior. More research is needed to confirm whether these effects are sustainable in the long term," the researchers wrote in the study published in the journal Jama Network.
The study has not examined the possible explanation behind the positive impact of limiting screen time, but researchers believe that it might be because the participants get more time for social interactions.
"We can only speculate about the mechanisms underlying the positive effects of limiting screen media use on children's and adolescents' mental health. When children and adolescents spend much of their leisure time using screen media devices, a putative effect may be diminishing face-to-face social engagement with friends, peers, and family members," the researchers added.
