High Screen Time Affects Psychosocial Well-being of Pre-schoolers, Warns Study

This study was a part of a large Finnish CHILD-SLEEP longitudinal birth cohort study, in which researchers studied the longitudinal association between e-media use at 18 months and psychosocial symptoms at 5 years of age in 699 children. They also studied cross-sectional associations between e-media use and psychosocial symptoms at 5 years between 2011 and 2017 in Finland. The major outcome assessed was children's psychosocial symptoms at the age of 5 years which was determined using the parent-reported questionnaires Five-to-Fifteen (FTF) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

Key findings of the study were:

• Upon evaluation, researchers observed that about 95% of the preschool children exceeded the daily recommended use of e-media set by health professionals.
• They reported that increased screen time at 5 years of age is associated with a risk of multiple psychosocial symptoms (OR 1.53–2.18), while increased levels of e-media use at 18 months were only associated with FTF peer problems (OR 1.59).
• They found that high-dose use of electronic games at the age of 5 years seems to be associated with fewer risks for psychosocial well-being than programme viewing, which was only associated with SDQ hyperactivity (OR 1.65).

The authors concluded, " Our results show that 5-year-old children spend considerably more time on e-media than is recommended by professionals. Our results further indicate that high levels of e-media use, especially programme viewing, is associated with problems with psychosocial outcomes, while the use of electronic games was only associated with hyperactivity in the crude models. "

They further added, "Children's social-emotional development is influenced by environmental factors, including e-media habits. Although children's e-media use patterns might not seem problematic when considering use on a daily level, they do have risks in the long term. Thus, health professionals play a key role in providing information for parents on the safe use of e-media devices in young children in order to protect their healthy development."

For further information:

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/3/e040848