Study warns of the dangers of screens on the minds of young children

Researchers from Shanghai University and Carleton University conducted an extensive investigation into how screen time affects the behavior of young children, with sleep quality playing a crucial mediating role. The research found disturbing results that affect the minds of the new generation in ways that parents never expected.

Preschoolers are increasingly immersed in the world of screens, with research showing that more than half of children over the age of 2.5 years, and more than a third of children over the age of 4 years, exceed the recommended screen time limit of no more than two hours per day.

Impact on sleep quality

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified this trend, doubling children’s daily screen use for online activities.

According to Study Finds, the researchers found that excessive screen use can leave preschoolers’ brains in a state of arousal, leading to poor sleep quality and duration.

“This heightened state of arousal creates a cascade of effects that can impact children’s behavior and well-being,” explained researcher Yan Li of Shanghai University.

The glow of screens has become the unofficial nightlight for an entire generation, but at what cost?

Behavioral problems

Excessive screen use can create a vicious cycle, with more screen time leading to poorer sleep, which in turn contributes to behavioral problems.

The researchers found that sleep quality was a partial mediator of the attention-hyperactivity relationship, accounting for 26.67% of the effect between screen time and attention-hyperactivity problems, and 25% of the effect between screen time and emotional symptoms.

“Screen use may also displace time that would otherwise be spent sleeping, and increase levels of physiological and psychological arousal, which can increase sleep difficulties.”

Key findings of the study

This disruption creates what Dr. Bowen Xiao, from Carleton University’s Department of Psychology, described as a “positive feedback loop, where increased screen time and sleep disturbances exacerbate the risk of hyperactivity, anxiety and depression.”

The study involved 571 children, and boys in the study showed higher levels of hyperactivity and peer issues than girls, highlighting gender differences in how screen time affects behavior. However, other aspects of the study did not show significant gender differences.