Children these days are hooked on to electronic devices more than the adults. When COVID disrupted the routine lives of people across the globe, kids had to turn to these electronic devices for educational purposes.
Be it for studying, leisure, gaming, or any other purposes, many kids are spending more than the prescribed time on these screens.
A recent study that was published in the academic journal Psychological Bulletin, revealed a two-way link between screen time of the kids and their emotional well-being. Experts focussed on children aged 10 and below and tracked their behavioural patterns over time. The researchers also analysed 117 long-term studies that were conducted between 1972 and 2024.
It was observed that children who spend longer screen time on devices like TVs, tablets, computers, and gaming consoles were at a higher risk of developing issues like aggression, anxiety, and low self-esteem later in life.
The study also noted that it could also be looked at from an angle that children who were facing self-esteem issues had the tendency to spend screen time on such devices.
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"Rather than breaking it down by the exact game people were playing, it's safe to make some assumptions. The most games that were included were console games, computer games and mobile games," said Dr. Michael Noetel, one of the study's authors and associate professor of psychology at The University of Queensland, Australia, told ABC News.
Apart from the emotional well-being of the kids, their eye health is also a major concern for the guardians due to the longer screen time. Some experts suggest the 20/20/20 rule—taking a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes—to prevent fatigue. A balanced routine of screen time and other activities can help in not compromising their vision and their social well-being.