CHILD WELL BEING AS WE EMERGE FROM THE PANDEMIC
Susan Rvachew | January 26, 2021
Susan Rvachew is Director and Associate Dean of the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at McGill University.
Concern about Canadian children has been increasing for some time now. There is evidence that academic achievement[1] is falling, obesity[2] is rising, and mental health needs are being unmet[3]. It has been tempting to attribute changes in children’s well being to the doubling in screen-time use that has occurred over the past decade[4]. Now, during the pandemic, screen time exposure has doubled again in less than a year[5]. Concern about children’s physical and mental health and their academic progress continues to rise but is muted by the focus on preventing the spread of the virus. We can expect that a strong emphasis on child health and well being will return, stronger than ever, when the pandemic recedes toward the end of the year.
What is the role of digital technology in our planning for children’s well being, now and in the future? Do we wean children off screen time now, planning for a screen-free post-pandemic future? Or will digital tools continue to be fully embedded in our daily lives as they are now? The path we follow will depend upon our values and on a clear reading of the scientific evidence. What is the relationship between screen time and child health?
It is common to hear that excessive screen time will harm children’s physical or mental health[6]. These claims are based on surveys that correlate estimates of daily screen time with questionnaire responses [7,8,9]. As an example, young people might report whether they agree with the statement “I feel unhappy a lot of the time.” These studies find very small effects: children who spend more than two hours a day on recreational screen time activities are likely to be more unhappy or worried or dissatisfied with life than those children who spend less time with their devices. They might also read less well and be heavier than children who have lower screen time participation. The effects are very small however and other aspects of the children’s lives have much bigger impacts on well being[10]. These studies are not designed to determine whether screen time causes poor outcomes for children.
Parents are often advised to limit their child’s screen exposure as a solution to problems such as obesity or anxiety[11]. It is often assumed without evidence that screen time is harmful because it displaces healthier activities[12]. Research shows that removing digital devices does not typically have the desired outcome. For example, children who do not exercise will not move more when their devices are taken away unless other interventions are in place[9]. However, the specific ways that children use their devices may be a factor[13]. One child might be couch surfing and eating while watching videos while another is learning new yoga poses. One child might be bullying her friends on social media while another is receiving valuable social support. One child might be scrolling mindlessly through frightening headlines while another is creating a popular blog. Overall, the research suggests that moderate amounts of digital participation that involve socializing, creating, and learning can benefit children and young people.
Nonetheless, we are concerned about the mental health of children during the pandemic and into the future[14]. Young people are experiencing distress during this significant crisis in our society. Children and young people are suffering from social isolation, thwarted goals, and fear for their own health or the health of their family members. Some children who cannot go to school have no respite from crowding or violence in their own homes.
Parents who are worried about their children’s mental health may be grasping for solutions. Limiting screen time may seem like a tangible strategy especially if their child is substituting video games for school or sleep. The difficulty lies in assuming that screen time limits will solve the problem.
Parents need to consider their children’s health and well being in a wholistic fashion. Promoting a healthy lifestyle and family cohesion are more powerful than limiting screen time. A healthy family routine and supportive family relationships are much more important to children’s well being than any amount or type of digital media exposure. In fact, digital devices can be used to connect children to their parents, other family members, and friends in the community to ensure a strong supportive network to keep children grounded in uncertain times[15].
The pandemic has amplified social inequity and the broad lack of community supports for families in Canada[16, 17]. All levels of government must be focused on reducing inequality and ensuring broader access to child-care, tutoring services, high-speed internet, income supports, and mental health services. Parents in collaboration with their children should identify reasonable screen time limits, developing a family plan that reflects their values and a balanced mix of important activities each day. However, it is not helpful to suggest that screen time limits will address significant concerns about children’s development and well being. There is no substitute for carefully integrated policies and programs that connect and support children, their families, and their communities.
References
- OECD (2019). Canada – Country Note – PISA Results 2018. Secretary General of the OECD, https://www.oecd.org/pisa/publications/PISA2018_CN_CAN.pdf
- ParticipACTION. The Role of the Family in the Physical Activity, Sedentary and Sleep Behaviours of Children and Youth. The 2020 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. Toronto: ParticipACTION; 2020.
- Comeau, J., Georgiades, K., Duncan, L., Wang, L., & Boyle, M. H. (2019). Changes in the Prevalence of Child and Youth Mental Disorders and Perceived Need for Professional Help between 1983 and 2014: Evidence from the Ontario Child Health Study. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 64(4), 256-264. doi:10.1177/0706743719830035
- UNICEF Innocenti, ‘Worlds of Influence: Understanding what shapes child well-being in rich countries’, Innocenti Report Card 16, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence, 2020.
- McGinn, D. (July 13, 2020). Parents struggle to wean children off ‘perfect storm’ of screen time during pandemic. Globe and Mail. Parents struggle to wean children off ‘perfect storm’ of screen time during pandemic - The Globe and Mail
- Johnson, S. (December 12, 2018). These are the alarming effects screen time has on a child’s brain. World Economic Forum, Agenda. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/12/how-does-screen-time-affect-kids-brains-the-first-results-of-a-landmark-study-are-alarming/
- Oberle, E., Ji, X. R., Kerai, S., Guhn, M., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Gadermann, A. M. (2020). Screen time and extracurricular activities as risk and protective factors for mental health in adolescence: A population-level study. Preventive Medicine, 141, 106291. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106291
- Madigan, S., Browne, D., Racine, N., Mori, C., & Tough, S. (2019). Association Between Screen Time and Children’s Performance on a Developmental Screening Test. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(3), 244-250. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5056
- Robinson, T. N., Banda, J. A., Hale, L., Lu, A. S., Fleming-Milici, F., Calvert, S. L., & Wartella, E. (2017). Screen Media Exposure and Obesity in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics, 140(Suppl 2), S97-S101. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-1758K
- Kardefelt-Winther, D. How does the time children spend using digital technology impact their mental well-being, social relationships and physical activity? An evidence-focused literature review. Innocenti Discussion Paper 2017-02, UNICEF Office of Research Innocenti, Florence.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, (2016). Why to limit your child’s media use. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/The-Benefits-of-Limiting-TV.aspx
- Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2017). A Large-Scale Test of the Goldilocks Hypothesis: Quantifying the Relations Between Digital-Screen Use and the Mental Well-Being of Adolescents. Psychological Science, 28(2), 204-215. doi:10.1177/0956797616678438
- Sanders, T., Parker, P. D., del Pozo-Cruz, B., Noetel, M., & Lonsdale, C. (2019). Type of screen time moderates effects on outcomes in 4013 children: evidence from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16(1), 117. doi:10.1186/s12966-019-0881-7
- Holmes, E. A.,…Bullmore, E. (2020). Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for mental health science. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(6), 547-560.
- Ponti, M., & Digital Health Task Force. (2019). Digital media: Promoting healthy screen use in school-aged children and adolescents. Pediatrics & Child Health, 24(6), 402-408. Retrieved from https://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/digital-media
- Canadian Human Rights Commission. (accessed January 13, 2021). Inequality amplified by COVID-19 crisis. Statement - Inequality amplified by COVID-19 crisis | Canadian Human Rights Commission (chrc-ccdp.gc.ca)
- Glass, J. (October 8, 2020). Parenting in a pandemic: Equity for our kids, our communities and ourselves. Community Foundations of Canada. Parenting in a pandemic: Equity for our kids, our communities, and ourselves – Community Foundations of Canada
This article initially appeared in the Globe and Mail on January 26, 2021
