kids and screentime
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If you are reading this, you are probably using a screen. Brightly lit screens inform our day, help us interact with family and friends, and can be a foundational instrument for the work we accomplish. Kids also use screens. They use them for socialization, school, and fun. Overall, does a child’s screen time add to their quality of life or take away from it from a mental health and cognitive standpoint?
New research on screen time and mental health
In early October 2024, an article was published by Negata and colleagues that asked the hard question of whether the time we see kids spending on screens is actually making their mental health worse. This is a question most parents think about, but it is one to which we (for I am the parent of a teenager) don’t really want to know the answer.
The study looked at over 9,500 children between nine and 10 years of age and followed them for two years. It revealed that kids with more screen time had more mental health issues including anxiety, depression, focus challenges, and impulsive conditions. The greatest correlation was between depression and time texting, watching videos, playing video games, and chatting.
Why does screen time have such a strong effect on mood?
When we use screens, it creates a signal in our brain where dopamine increases. When dopamine increases, we feel happier and rewarded. The problem is, like any drug, we get used to that level of dopamine, so when we take away the screen, the dopamine level drops, and we don’t feel as satisfied as we did when we were looking at the screen. When dopamine levels remain too low for too long, a person can feel depressed. When screen time is excessive for a particular person and they begin to take time away from it, the brain starts looking for ways to get back to the way it was feeling when screen use was higher. Often this feeling is subconscious and we can’t help our screen-watching behavior. It takes more and more screen time to get the same feeling of reward.
The authors of this research also suggest another reason screen time is a factor in poor mood: Screen time may be replacing other healthy activities, like outdoor time, spending time with friends, and exercise. Past research studies have shown the more time kids spend in green areas, the less likely they are as adults to have mental health problems. In my opinion, taking time to exercise, enjoy nature, and spend in-person time with loved ones is an excellent physiologic counterweight to screen time, allowing for the natural dopamine manufacture that minimizes the effect screens may otherwise have.
This study also revealed that non-school screen time for kids logs in somewhere between five and eight hours by the time they become teenagers. So, kids are clearly looking for the dopamine hit after school because they were deprived of it during school hours. Given the increased likelihood of focus issues that the study suggests with more screen time, it seems likely that more screen time overall is probably also contributing to poorer academic performance when the kids are in school.
In teens, the stakes get higher
During the early teen years, hormonal fluctuations along with social pressures can create a mentally dynamic time that creates pressure on adolescents who seem to have the most balanced of moods. In young kids already showing signs and symptoms of mood disorder, these fluctuations can lead to serious mood changes and thoughts of harming oneself. Suicide is the first leading cause of death in 14- to 15-year-olds, and is the second leading cause of death in teens overall. Based on CDC data, the American Psychological Association suggests more than 20% of teens have had serious suicidal considerations. Other research published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science from 2020 suggests almost half of teens who spend 5 or more hours on devices have suicidal-related behavior. Now with this new study, it seems the screen time as a 9- and 10-year-old is probably setting up the young teen for more mental health issues, and possibly a greater risk of wanting to hurt themselves a few years later.
Conclusion about screen time
As we traverse this ever-increasing world of screens in our lives, it is important to learn how to use our screens in a balanced way to help improve our lives but not lead us into addiction. Like exercise, a certain amount of screen time can be healthy and positive, but too much can be detrimental. Doctors and health practitioners are becoming more savvy and are now checking in with their patients regarding screen time and usage in the same way they ask about diet or stress levels. Screen time is probably even more important to ask about with kids, especially when there are sleeping and mental health challenges as well.
When I work with individuals and families, I like to discuss plans for media use that allow both kids and adults to have the time they need to get their work done, as well as understand how to best allocate time for social media and screen fun. Within this plan, we also carve out time for eating properly, exercising, and getting out into nature. Besides these lifestyle choices, some natural supports can help augment the dopamine pathway. For example, studies show both vitamin D and B6 are known co-factors that help the body naturally make dopamine. Some botanicals may also support this pathway. This way, the brain has all the support it needs to create a happier and balanced mood that is less swayed by time on screen.
