Is Too Much Screen Time During The Pandemic Causing Depression And Anxiety In Kids?

The American Academy of Pediatrics and Canadian Paediatric Society recommends no more than 1-2 hours of screen use per day for children over two years old and none at all for younger kids.
This includes the total daily time spent using electronic devices- like smartphones, computers, televisions, and video game consoles- for digital media, video games, video-chatting, and electronic learning.
According to an open access article from The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a longitudinal cohort study has found a correlation between increased screen time and higher levels of mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms included depression, anxiety, conduct problems, irritability, hyperactivity, and inattention.
A cohort study is a type of research that identifies a group of people and follows them over a period of time.
In this case, the cohort consisted of 2026 Canadian children aged 2-18 years old. The children were divided into four groups (cohorts).
These consisted of two groups of children who participated voluntarily and two groups who participated as referred by either their primary care provider, mental health clinic, or neurodevelopmental disorder clinic.
This study confirms the primary outcome of increased screen usage was depression and anxiety. The secondary outcomes were conduct problems, irritability, hyperactivity, and inattention.
However, not all variables were included in the study model design. In short, that means that although there is a correlation, there is no causality.

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Moreover, the associations persisted even after accounting for previous mental health diagnoses in most cases.
But, the study did not take account of all prior diagnoses or conditions like reduced social, cognitive, and physical demands due to the pandemic.
“In this cohort study, different types of screen use were associated with distinct mental health symptoms in children and youth during COVID-19, suggesting that not all screen use is equal.”
More importantly, the authors concluded, “These findings suggest that policy intervention as well as evidence-informed social supports are needed to promote healthful screen use and mental health in children and youth during the pandemic and beyond.”
Not surprisingly, the data supports recommended reduced screen time literature written before the pandemic. You can read more about the study here.
My two cents: Has there ever been any doubt that too much screen time can cause mental health issues in children? Being a mother of two boys (9 and 12-years old) during the pandemic has been difficult. We spent more than a year remote learning which was a lot of time to keep two children busy and happy.
As an overwhelmed parent, I enabled my kiddos by letting them have free reign of screen time when they finished school work and chores.
Based on their attitudes, I could almost predict which game they were playing, especially if they were part of losing a battle.
Ironically, I am in a losing battle now that the kids are back in school. Trying to get them off the devices is almost impossible.
They’re transitioning slowly but surely. Just remember, don’t judge. There’s no book for parenting during a pandemic, but there’s always hope the kids will be alright.
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