Too much screen time could increase the risk of depression in children and adolescents: study



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A new US study found that one hour of on-screen projection could affect the behavior of children and adolescents. Even children as young as two years old are likely to suffer from anxiety and depression because of the time spent on smartphones or watching TV.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of San Diego and the University of Georgia, examined data collected from the National Health Survey of the United States. conducted in 2016.

Researchers badyzed 40,337 investigations conducted by children aged 2 to 17, who had been surveyed about existing medical care, emotional, development and behavioral problems. and youth behaviors, including daily screen time.

The findings, published in Preventative Medicine Reports, showed that more hours of screen time were badociated with a lower level of well-being in children and adolescents aged 2 to 17 years , large users showing less curiosity and self-control. and emotional stability.

Among preschoolers, large screen users were twice as likely to lose their cool often and 46% more likely to be unable to calm down when excited. About 22.6% of people aged 11 to 13 who spent more than seven hours with screens every day did not want to learn new things, compared with 13.8% of those who spent four hours in school. screen and about 9% of those who spent an hour

Adolescents who spent more than seven hours a day in front of a screen were twice as likely as those who spent only one hour on a screen to be diagnosed with 'anxiety or depression, an important result according to the researchers. In addition, 42.2% of adolescents aged 14 to 17 who spent more than seven hours a day on screens did not complete their tasks, compared with 27.7% of those who spent four hours a day at work. screen and 16.6% of those who spent an hour a day.

In addition, the badociations between screen time and well-being were stronger in adolescents than in younger children.

"At first, I was surprised that the badociations are bigger for teenagers," commented the researcher. Jean Twenge. "However, teens spend more time on their phones and on social networks, and other research has shown that these activities are more closely related to welfare decline than watching TV and videos, most of the time spent on the screen. " [19659002] Twenge adds that the study provides additional evidence in support of the American Academy of Pediatrics' filtering time limits – one hour per day for children ages 2 to 5, focused on high quality – and suggests that similar limits around two hours a day should be applied to older children and adolescents of school age.

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