The use of electronic devices and exposure to screens has increased significantly in families with children in recent years. This trend has raised concerns among parents, educators, and health professionals about the negative effects that excessive screen time can have on children’s mental health and well-being. Various studies have indicated that spending many hours in front of devices can contribute to problems such as anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties. In response to these findings, many families are struggling to set clear and healthy limits on technology use at home, seeking a balance that allows children to enjoy the benefits of technology without compromising their emotional and physical health.
In a new analysis from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), researchers from the Department of Sport and Biomechanics in collaboration with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Research Unit have investigated the effect of reducing screen time in children and young people’s mental health.
Research into screen use by children and young people and its potential impact on mental health has previously been based on observational studies. This type of study has often been criticised for its numerous shortcomings and potential errors, resulting in generally low confidence in the research results and ongoing discussions among researchers in the field. The SDU researchers therefore wanted to investigate the area in more detail in a randomised controlled study, a so-called lottery study. Here, participants are randomly divided into two groups, with one acting as a control group, where the participants do not change their behaviour.
Two weeks without phones or tablets reduce symptoms of anxiety, sadness and depression
In the current study, 89 families (181 children and 164 adults) were randomly divided into two groups. The first group, 45 families (86 children and adolescents), had to give up their smartphones and tablets and go without them for two weeks. They could watch television and use the computer to a lesser extent, but they had to limit their free-time screen time to a maximum of three hours per week. The other control group, the other 44 families (95 children and adolescents), continued with their normal screen time habits.
The results of this study, which has just been published in JAMA Network Open, showed an improvement in the mental health of children and young people with reduced screen use during leisure time. Specifically, they observed a reduction in internalizing symptoms, which include feelings of anxiety, sadness and depression and problems with peers, as well as an improvement in prosocial behavior, says Anders Grøntved, professor at the Department of Sport and Biomechanics and senior author of the study.
“Less screen time gives children and young people more time for face-to-face interactions with family and friends, which is important for mental well-being” (Anders Grøntved, professor)
The results of the study support the researchers’ hypothesis that screen use by children and young people may be a contributing factor to the fact that many children and young people have mental problems. “Although our study shows positive effects of reducing screen use in families with children, we still lack a full understanding of what explains these effects. One possible explanation is that less screen use gives children and young people more time for face-to-face interactions with family and friends, which is known to be important for mental well-being,” says Anders Grøntved.
Another explanation could be that parents in the intervention group also experienced greater mental well-being, which could create a more positive atmosphere at home. Finally, the type and content of screen use, such as social media use, may influence mental well-being, as social media restrictions have been shown in previous studies to reduce symptoms of loneliness and depression, she explains.
Need for further studies
Anders Grøntved emphasises that the type of screen used needs to be examined more closely in future studies. Furthermore, further research is needed to confirm whether these effects can also be observed over a longer period when screen use is reduced during leisure time.
Similarly, it will be interesting to conduct similar studies in at-risk populations (e.g. children with ADHD or autism), as the importance of reducing screen use for their mental health may prove even greater.
