Screens creating generation of emotionally damaged children

By Stephen Beech

Children who spend too much time staring at screens are more likely to suffer emotional and behavioral issues, according to new research.

And it can become a "vicious circle" as youngsters turn to their phone or tablet to cope - leading to even more screen time, say scientists.

The new study, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, involved an international team of researchers reviewing 117 previous studies, encompassing data from more than 292,000 children worldwide.

Co-author Professor Michael Noetel, of Queensland University in Australia, said: “Children are spending more and more time on screens, for everything from entertainment to homework to messaging friends.

“We found that increased screen time can lead to emotional and behavioral problems, and kids with those problems often turn to screens to cope.”

Noetel and his colleagues conducted the analysis to better understand the relationship between screen time and "socio-emotional problems" - such as aggression, anxiety, and low self-confidence.

The team included any study with participants under 10 years of age that measured screen use and socio-emotional problems, where children were followed for at least six months.

Screen-based activities included social media, video games, watching TV and online homework.

Most of the studies were conducted in the United States (41 studies), followed by Canada (13), Australia (11), plus Germany and the Netherlands (seven each).

The analysis revealed that the more children engaged with electronic screens the more likely they were to develop socio-emotional problems.

These included both internalising problems - such as anxiety and depression - and externalizing problems, such as aggression and hyperactivity.

Youngsters experiencing socio-emotional problems were also found to be more likely to turn to screens as a coping mechanism.

The researchers identified several factors that may moderate those relationships.

Compared with younger children, up to the age of five, those aged six to 10 years old were more likely to develop socio-emotional problems with greater screen use.

Girls were generally more susceptible to developing socio-emotional problems with greater screen use, while boys were more likely to increase screen use when facing socio-emotional challenges.

Noetel said the type of screen content and the purpose of screen use also played a role.

Gaming was associated with higher risks compared with educational or recreational screen use.

Children experiencing socio-emotional problems were also more likely to turn to games to cope.

Dr. Noetel said the findings suggest parents might want to be cautious about what screens they allow and use parental controls to manage time.

He also noted that youngsters who use screens heavily might need emotional support, not just restrictions.

Parents could benefit from programs helping them handle both screen use and emotional problems, according to the research team.

Lead author Dr. Roberta Vasconcellos, of the University of New South Wales in Australia, said: "This comprehensive study highlights the need for a nuanced approach to managing children's screen time.

“By understanding the bidirectional relationship between screen use and socio-emotional problems, parents, educators and policymakers can better support children's healthy development in an increasingly digital world.”

Noetel said that because every study included in the analysis followed children over a period of time, the research is a "big step" closer to cause‑and‑effect than the usual snapshots done at a single point in time.

He added: “It’s about as close as we can get to causal evidence without randomly cutting screens for thousands of kids.

“But still, we can’t completely rule out other factors - like parenting style - that could influence both screen use and emotional problems.”