EVERYMINDMATTERS.

ORG

In Support of the Psychology Foundation of Canada

RESEARCH NEWS

The Trouble with Electronic Media

CONCERNS ABOUT how much Cme children spend
consuming electronic media date back to the early
1900s, when movies were rst introduced. That
seems almost laughable now that childrens screen
Cme, as it is now called, involves computers,
televisions, video games, tablets, cell phones and
other hand-held devices. Here are some selected
ndings about the eect of screen
Cme on children.

First The Bad News

The average Canadian preteen
spends six to seven hours per day
in front of various screens.
Among American children aged
eight to 18, average daily screen
Cme increased by one hour per
day between 2004 and 2009.

The Good News

ParenCng makes a dierence. A recent study
published in the Journal of the American Medical
Associa6on shows that parental monitoring of
childrens media use miCgates the potenCal
negaCve eects of screen Cme.

The average
Canadian preteen
spends six to seven
hours per day in
front of various
screens.

Too much screen Cme at an

early age has been associated with
a:enCon problems (Christakis et al. 2004), and
reduced academic and psychosocial well-being in
middle childhood (Pagain 2010).
High levels of screen Cme are associated with
poorer health, poorer eaCng habits and reduced
physical acCvity (Rosen et al. 2014) and increased
risk of obesity (Mitchell, 2013).

Parents engage in two types of

monitoring: limit se7ng on the
amount of screen Cme and the
type of content children are
allowed to watch, and media6on,
which is watching TV with a child
or talking with children about
media content.
Parental monitoring in general
was associated with lower total
screen Cme and less exposure to
media violence.

By reducing total screen Cme,

parental monitoring also reduces its negaCve
impacts, including less sleep, poorer school
performance and more aggressive behaviour.
Parental monitoring of childrens screen Cme was
also associated with higher levels of prosocial
behaviour in children.

Although it can be challenging to restrict childrens screen Lme in todays electronic world, it is possible. Our
Parent Handout, on page four of this issue of Every Mind Ma,ers, oers Lps for reducing screen Lme.
Sources:
GenCle D.A., Reimer, R.A., Nathanson, AI, et al. (2014). ProtecCve Eects of Parental Monitoring of Childrens Media Use: A prospecCve
study. JAMA Pediatrics 168(5): 479-484.
Christakis, D.A., Zimmerman, F.J., DiGiuseppe, D.L., et al. (20014). Early Television Exposure and Subsequent A:enConal Problems in
Children. Pediatrics 113: 70813.
Mitchell, J.A., Rodriguez, D., Schmitz, K.H., & Audrain-McGovern, J. (2013). Greater Screen Time Is Associated with Adolescent Obesity:
A longitudinal study of the BMI distribuCon from ages 14 to 18. Obesity, 21(3): 572-575.
Pagani, L.S., Fitzpatrick, C.F., Barne:, T.A., et al. (2010). ProspecCve AssociaCons Between Early Childhood Television Exposure and
Academic, Psychosocial, and Physical Well-being by Middle Childhood. Arch Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 164: 42531.
Rosen, L.D., Lim, A.F., Felt, J., et al. (2014). Media and Technology Use Predicts Ill-being among Children, Preteens and Teenagers
Independent of the NegaCve Health Impacts of Exercise and EaCng Habits. Computers in Human Behavior 35: 364-375.

EVERYMINDMATTERS.ORG

In Support of the Psychology Foundation of Canada

Hand-out for Parents

MANAGING SCREEN TIME

THIRTY YEARS AGO, experts were
concerned about the amount of
television children were watching.
These days, the concern is not just
television, but all screen Cme, which
includes video games, tablets,
computers, cell phones and other
devices. A recent survey shows that
Canadian preteens average six to seven
hours of screen Cme a day. That does
not leave much Cme for other things
that growing children need to do, like
playing outdoors, reading books and
interacCng with people face-to-face.
Reducing childrens screen Cme is a challenge, but
it pays o. Less screen Cme is linked to be:er be-
haviour, be:er school achievement, more physical
acCvity and less risk of being overweight. Consider
whether any of these strategies will work for your
family:

Oer fun alternaLves to screen Cme. Children enjoy

physical acCvity and playing with friends. But
someCmes they need adult help to think of fun
things to do or to make them possible.

Trade it. Consider having children earn screen Cme

by doing more desirable acCviCes, such as playing
Set restricLons on your childrens screen Cme. Even
outside, playing with friends, reading, or exercising.
if you cant meet the two hours a day some experts
recommend, research shows that children whose
Many parents share experts concern about the type
parents set some limits have less screen Cme than
of material children today are exposed to. Young
children whose parents set no limits.
children dont have the ability to understand and
process the violent, frightening or sexualized content
Have screenless meals. Kids (and adults) dont really of some television programs, videos and lms.
need to be answering texts, checking Facebook or
watching TV at the dinner table. Why not make
Make it clear to your children what types of media
mealCme family Cme?
content are not acceptable. Make use of parental
controls if necessary. This will reduce your childs
Set a good example. Dont text or watch TV during
exposure to inappropriate content.
meals or while you are playing with your kids.
Watch with your children. Talking to children about
Take TV out of the bedroom. Children who have
troubling media content can reduce its negaCve
TVs in their bedrooms log more Cme on TV and
impact.
video games.
REMEMBER that children needs lots of face-to-face
Put cell phones away at night. When preteens and interacCon in order to develop social skills, emoConal
teens take their cell phones to bed, they get less
skills and thinking skills. Screens should not take
sleep as a result. Make it your family policy to park
priority over face-to-face acCviCes.
(or charge) cell phones at night.