Reducing children's screen time to just three hours per week can result in significant improvements in their mental health, suggests a team of psychologists and mental health specialists affiliated with several institutions in Denmark.
The group, also working with a colleague from the UK, describes in the article published in a health journal how they conducted a randomised clinical trial involving 89 families and the impact of reducing screen time on electronic devices.
Children who spend long periods of time using electronic devices, whether watching movies or videos, engaging in social media or playing video games, are at risk for mental health problems such as antisocial behavior and difficulties managing emotions, according to previous research.
In this new study, the research team asked whether eliminating such activities would improve mental health and, if so, how quickly change might occur.
Researchers conducted a clinical trial with 89 families, including 181 children, from 10 cities in Denmark to discover changes.
The trial involved assessing all children in the study using the “Strengths and Difficulties Utilization Questionnaire” to learn more about their social skills, general behavior, emotional stability, and overall mental health.
They then asked all children in 45 families to limit their use of electronic devices to just three hours per week, not including school use. In addition, video monitors were installed in participants' homes to ensure compliance for two weeks.
Then, to see if there was any difference, all the children were asked to fill out the same questionnaire again.
As a result, the research team found significant improvements in the children's social skills, including reductions in behavioral problems and in managing emotional issues.
