Limiting screen time has ‘ripple effect’ for kids

"As parents, we don't even see our children get taller and that's a really noticeable effect. With media, what we're often looking for is the absence of a problem, such as a child not gaining weight, making it even more difficult to notice," says Douglas Gentile. (Credit: Adapted from Scooter Lowrimore/Flickr)



“When parents are involved it has a powerful protective effect across a wide range of different areas that they probably never would have expected to see,” Gentile says. “However, parents aren’t likely to notice that putting limits on the children’s media is having these effects seven months later.”

(Credit: Kevin Raybon/Flickr)
(Credit: Kevin Raybon/Flickr)

Considering that children average more than 40 hours of screen time a week, not counting time spent on a computer at school, even small changes can make a difference, researchers say. They are not suggesting parents completely eliminate screen time, but find a healthy balance.

The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, finds there is a ripple effect associated with the benefits of limiting both screen time and media content. Gentile is not surprised to see a direct impact on sleep, academics, and behavior.

In addition, limited screen time also indirectly affects body mass index. The study finds that children got more sleep if parents limited screen time, which also resulted in lower risk of obesity. Parents limiting exposure to violent media resulted in increased prosocial behavior and lowered aggressive behavior seven months later.

Subtle changes




“Even with changes that we do notice, we really don’t recognize in the moment how all these things are related to each other across time,” he adds. “Yes, as screen time goes up, school performance goes down, but that doesn’t happen overnight. If I watch a lot of TV today, I don’t get an F in my class tomorrow.”

At the doctor’s office

The American Association of Pediatrics recommends no more than one to two hours of screen time a day for children two years and older. Reality far exceeds those recommendations, which might explain why doctors feel it is futile to talk with parents about guidelines for media use, Gentile says. The study provides further evidence of why pediatricians need to have that conversation.

“Hopefully, this study will give pediatricians a better sense of efficacy that it’s worth taking the time to talk to parents,” Gentile says. “Even if doctors only influence 10 percent of the parents, that’s still millions of children having much better health outcomes as a result.”


Researchers from Des Moines University, Ohio State University, Mind Positive Parenting, and Michigan State University also contributed to this study.

Source: Iowa State