No link found between kids' screen use and emotional, behavioural or social problems later

By Dr Joe Milton, the Australian Science Media Centre

Parents worried their child's screen habits will lead to emotional or behavioural problems can perhaps breathe a little easier, according to a major new study.

UK researchers tracked 2,598 Scottish children from age five to 15 and found little evidence that the amount of time kids spent on screens predicted later emotional, behavioural or social problems. The exception was children with very high levels of screen use at age five, who were more likely to experience psychosocial difficulties by age 10, but these had dissipated by age 15.

Dr Juliana Zabatiero, from Curtin University and the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, told the AusSMC the findings add important long-term evidence to a topic that's often driven by anxiety.

"The key takeaway is not to ignore screen time, but to move beyond it," she said. "What matters more is what children are doing on screens, who they are engaging with, and the wider family context in which they are growing up."

Professor Adam Guastella, a child and youth mental health researcher at the University of Sydney, said the study adds to growing evidence that screen time alone isn't a major driver of poor mental health.

"Parents can take away from this that reports suggesting technology use can cause serious mental health and developmental impacts are premature," he said.

Several experts said the findings challenge the long-standing focus on counting hours spent in front of a screen.

Dr Alexia Maddox, from La Trobe University, said the research supports a growing body of evidence that "a flat hourly limit is the wrong tool for understanding how screens affect kids... It’s time to move beyond time-based metrics to understand how, when and for who different types of screen use become problematic or helpful".

Associate Professor David Armstrong, also from La Trobe University, said the findings may come as a surprise to some parents, but should encourage a rethink of where attention is directed.

"Perhaps we (society, media, governments) are expending too much focus on screen time," he said. “Child poverty, or disadvantage often experienced by kids with a disability in school, are well known to negatively affect development and much more deserving of focus."

Both the study authors and independent experts say the findings should not be interpreted as a carte blanche for children to spend all day glued to their devices. It couldn't distinguish between different types of screen use, and, as pointed out by Professor Andrew Whitehouse from The Kids Research Institute Australia, today's children are growing up in a very different digital world from those in the study.

He noted the children were five years old in 2009, before smartphones and tablets became part of everyday childhood.

"The main conclusion from this study is that time spent in front of the TV does not in itself appear to drive emotional and behavioural difficulties," he said. "But the impact of modern smartphones and tablets on the developing child is a different question, and this study cannot answer it."

You can read the EXPERT REACTION here

This article originally appeared in Science Deadline, a weekly newsletter from the AusSMC. You are free to republish this story, in full, with appropriate credit.

Contact: Dr Joe Milton

Phone: +61 8 7120 8666

Email: info@smc.org.au