Too much of a good thing needs to be ‘Screened’

Screen time – almost a more intimidating word than cyberbullying. In this advanced technological era we find ourselves in, iPads, television and cellphones have taken over and are crippling developmental skills of youth all around the world.

In 2015 Cambridge University researchers recorded the activities of more than 800 14-year-olds and analysed their GCSE results at 16. Those spending an extra hour a day on screens (TV, computer, games console, phone) saw a fall in GCSE results equivalent to two grades overall. On average, the 14-year-olds said they spent four hours of their leisure time each day watching TV or in front of a computer.

Academic performance isn’t the only taking severe strain because of screen time. Multiple studies have shown atrophy (shrinkage or loss of tissue volume) in gray matter areas (where “processing” occurs) in internet/gaming addiction (Zhou 2011 Yuan 2011, Weng 2013 and Weng 2012.)

Areas affected included the important frontal lobe, which governs executive functions, such as planning, planning, prioritising, organising, and impulse control (“getting stuff done”). Volume loss was also seen in the striatum, which is involved in reward pathways and the suppression of socially unacceptable impulses. A finding of particular concern was damage to an area known is the insula, which is involved in our capacity to develop empathy and compassion for others and our ability to integrate physical signals with emotion. Aside from the obvious link to violent behavior, these skills dictate the depth and quality of personal relationships.   

Whether you keep the TV on all the time or the whole family sits around staring at their smartphones, too screen time could be harmful.

Here’s what some of the research says:

Obesity: Too much time engaging in sedentary activity, such as watching TV and playing video games, can be a risk factor for becoming overweight.

Sleep problems: Although many parents use TV to wind down before bed, screen time before bed can backfire. The light emitted from screens interferes with the sleep cycle in the brain and can lead to insomnia.

Behavior problems: Elementary school-age children who watch TV or use a computer more than two hours per day are more likely to have emotional, social, and attention problems. Excessive TV viewing has even been linked to increased bullying behavior.

Educational problems: Elementary school-age children who have televisions in their bedrooms do worse on academic testing.

Violence: Exposure to violent TV shows, movies, music, and video games can cause children to become desensitised to it. Eventually, they may use violence to solve problems and may imitate what they see on TV, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

An occasional detox away from any type of screen is an absolute necessity, so enforce those rules, be the unpopular one now and again and help your child to help themselves in the school of life!

Please go check out positivepsychology.com for a great article 21 Emotion Regulation Worksheets & Strategies(click on this link/heading to read further).