According to a group of psychologists and mental health experts connected to multiple Danish institutions, cutting children’s screen usage down to only three hours a week can have a major positive impact on their mental health.
In the research published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the team—which also collaborates with a colleague from the United Kingdom—describes how they carried out a randomized clinical trial involving 89 families and the effects of cutting down on screen time on electronic devices, according to Medical Xpress.
Children who use electronic devices for extended periods of time, whether for watching movies or videos, using social media, or playing video games, are more likely to experience mental health issues like antisocial behavior and trouble managing their emotions, according to previous studies.
In this new study, the research team investigated whether and how quickly eliminating such behaviors would benefit mental health.
The researchers used 89 families and 181 children from ten Danish cities in a clinical trial to see if there were any improvements.
The “Utilising the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire” was used to assess each kid in the trial in order to get more information about their general conduct, social skills, emotional stability, and general mental health.
Next, they instructed every youngster in 45 of the families to limit their weekly electronic device use to no more than three hours. School usage was not included in this. In addition, participants’ houses had video monitors installed for a two-week period to guarantee compliance.
All of the kids were asked to complete the same questionnaire again afterward to check for any changes.
Consequently, the research team saw notable enhancements in the children’s social abilities, such as decreased behavioral disorders and improved emotional regulation.
