Type of screen time moderates effects on outcomes in 4013 children: evidence from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

Abstract

BackgroundExcessive engagement with digital screens is harmful to children’s health. However, new evidence suggests that exposure at moderate levels may not be harmful and may even provide benefit. Therefore, our objective was to determine if there are curvilinear relationships between different types of screen time and a diverse set of outcomes, including health and education.MethodsWe address our objective using a repeated measures design. Children (N = 4013), initially aged 10–11 were assessed every 2 years between 2010 and 2014. Children’s screen time behavior was measured using time-use diaries, and categorized into five types: social, passive, interactive, educational, or other. We used measures of children’s physical health, health-related quality of life, socio-emotional outcomes, and school achievement. The analysis plan was pre-registered. Models were adjusted for gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, number of siblings, and housing factors.ResultsThere were linear associations between total screen time and all outcomes, such that more screen time was associated with worse outcomes. However, there was variability when examined by screen time type. Passive screen time (e.g., TV) was associated with worse outcomes, educational screen time (e.g., computer for homework) was associated with positive educational outcomes and had no negative relations with other outcomes. Interactive screen time (e.g., video games) had positive associations with educational outcomes but negative associations with other outcomes. In all instances, these significant associations were small or very small, with standardised effects < 0.07. We found little evidence of curvilinear relationships.ConclusionsThe small effects of screen time on children’s outcomes appear to be moderated by the type of screen time. Policy makers, educators, and parents should consider the type of screen time when considering the benefits and harms of use.

Effects of Reallocating Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors, and Sleep on Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Examination of Canadian Adolescents in the COMPASS Study

“…Taken together, these results provide useful direction for interventions and messaging targeting sedentary behaviors among adolescents and support recent suppositions and ndings that not all sedentary behaviors have equivalent effects on mental health. 14,18,21,23 Replacing any behavior with homework was consistently associated with greater anxiety. This speaks to the anxiety students may feel around homework or academic pursuits outside of school.…”

“…52 There may also have been overlap between the sedentary behavior domains or other behaviors if participants were completing homework on the computer, for example, or were being active while using screens (e.g., active video games). 14,53 As well, the extent to which sedentary behaviors were characterized as mentally active or passive was not directly assessed. It is possible some forms of screen time may be more mentally active or passive relative to others.…”

“…Researchers investigating nonrecreational screen time (i.e., computer use for homework) reported no associations between time spent doing homework and mental health, but positive associations were noted for educational outcomes and persistence. 10,14 Investigations of speci c sedentary behavior types could guide prevention efforts with greater precision.…”

Balancing time use for children’s fitness and adiposity: Evidence to inform 24-hour guidelines for sleep, sedentary time and physical activity

“…Several studies have used alternative analytical methods, such as splines or generalized additive models, to determine whether there may be an optimal duration of activities [6][7][8]. However, these studies did not take into account that all daily activities are interrelated because they compete for time-shares within a finite 24-hour window.…”

Managing Children's Anxiety During COVID-19 Pandemic: Strategies for Providers and Caregivers

“…Specific times of the day could be set aside for watching and discussing such news. Monitoring the content that children are exposed to through various media is essential ( 26 ). Graphic images and threatening content on media can result in long lasting fears in children ( 27 ).…”