Dr. Michelle Yang, a resident at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, released new research on correlations with screen time last week. Here are some highlights for adolescents and teens:
The more teens have time outside, the better. “The higher the amount of ‘green time,’ regardless of screen time, showed an increased self-efficacy, positive identity and decreased anxiety in teenagers.”
Screen time isn’t all bad. In fact, researchers found that extremely low screen time actually tended to correlate with worse mental health scores. And as they increased the amount of screen time, that showed a moderate improvement in their mental health – but a limit does exist.
The impact of screen time largely depends on what kind of media is being consumed. “It’s probably different watching a TV show versus watching a documentary, or playing a video game that you don’t have to think about versus a video game that you have to work with other children and come up with a solution together on a problem.”
When working with adolescents and teens on how they are using screens, mention this research to help them develop habits that keep them healthy.