As of: February 16, 2024, 8:30 p.m
By: Juliane Gutmann
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For small children, their parents' smartphone is magically attractive.
But screen time poses risks for the psyche of little ones.
Researchers show how strong the effect is.
It's too tempting to sit your child in front of the television when you have something to do.
This isn't reprehensible as long as it doesn't happen all the time.
Because educators agree: smartphones, tablets and televisions should only be accessible to children in moderation.
Excessive consumption carries risks that should not be underestimated.
In addition to a lack of exercise, there is also a risk of problems such as difficulty concentrating and lack of sleep.
In addition, excessive media consumption can crowd out social interactions and creative pursuits, which affects children's emotional and cognitive development.
What sounds plausible to many people has also been scientifically proven.
Most recently, a Chinese study showed how much screen time influences the mental health of young children.
Child-friendly programs should also not be watched constantly
The frightening result: the more often children consume content that is not suitable for children on television or on smartphones, the greater the risk of mental illness.
But even educational screen time, which is therefore classified as child-friendly, has a negative effect on children if they are exposed to it too often.
Like the knowledge portal
Springer Medicine
writes that screen time of more than four hours a day - regardless of the content - was associated with a significantly increased risk of mental illnesses such as depression by around a third.
With moderate screen time, the effects on children's mental health depended on the content.
Higher consumption of educational programs was associated with a 27 percent lower risk of mental illness, while content unsuitable for children was associated with an almost threefold increased risk.
According to researchers, small children should be exposed to tablets, smartphones or televisions as rarely as possible.
© Imago
For their study, the research team led by Haiwa Wang from the National Children's Medical Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai analyzed the media behavior of around 16,000 children between the ages of three and six.
The parents in the sample provided information about the children's development in questionnaires.
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The study authors concluded: “The results of this study suggest that both total screen time and different types of content may be associated with mental health problems in children ages three to six.
It is recommended to limit children's screen time, give priority to educational programs and avoid programs not aimed at children."
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More information about the study
“Types of On-Screen Content and Mental Health in Kindergarten Children”
Release date
: December 4, 2023
Study period
: November 2016 to May 2023
Published
in JAMA Pediatrics, an academic pediatric journal
Size
: 15,965 kindergarten children
Study authors
: Chinese research team led by Haiwa Wang from the National Children's Medical Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University
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