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Madalyn Carter

21.SP.ENG.1101.A50 English Composition I

Prof. Kjirsten Goeller

2 March 2021

Does Too Much Screen Time Affect Children

With our world vastly changing and new and better technology being created every single

day, more and more people have turned to technology for many things like school,

entertainment, and work. Children have been using more technology than ever as the years

progress and that can harm them physically and mentally. Technology can range in so many

different forms from Ipads, computers, phones, television, Xbox's, PlayStations, and many more

devices. Children are seen constantly on some kind of device. Research has shown that spending

too much time in front of a screen can cause damage to children’s bodies and minds. For our

children to be healthy and more focused, we must set guidelines and restrictions on how long a

child should have screen time for the betterment of their health and future development.

Research shows the different effects that spending a significant amount of time in front of

technology can have on a child's body. Spending too much time in front of a screen can cause

irregular sleep patterns. Children who spend more time in front of a screen receive less sleep

than a child who spends less time in front of a screen (Chaput). Chaput also talks about how the

lack of sleep for a child can affect their body physically but how more studies needed to be done

to help prove this more. “Sleep duration was assessed by a parental report in 70% of studies (n =

48) and was measured objectively (or both objectively and subjectively) in 30% of studies (n =

21). Overall, shorter sleep duration was associated with higher adiposity (20/31 studies), poorer
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emotional regulation (13/25 studies), impaired growth (2/2 studies), more screen time (5/5

studies), and a higher risk of injuries (2/3 studies).” (Chaput). Getting less sleep due to being on

a screen too long can cause damage to a younger child's physical growth.

There has been extensive research done proving how too much screen time for children

can lead to becoming obese and being overweight. “Controlling childhood overweight/obesity

would help early prevention of children from getting chronic noncommunicable diseases,

exposing them to too much screen time for long periods may increase the risk of

overweight/obesity due to lack of physical activity” (Fang). For children to sit in front of a

television or a phone for long periods of a day can higher their risk of physical health problems.

Obesity can cause not only health issues but social problems with self-esteem as well.

Some people believe that letting your child spend an extravagant amount of time on

technology does not do them any harm but can help them in some areas like meeting new people

and becoming more aware of what is happening in the world. Current research has not seemed to

say if too much screen time has harmed children's physical or mental health and how more

research needs to be done before an opinion can be made (Ferguson). “Although an “everything

in moderation” message when discussing screen time with parents may be most productive,

results do not support a strong focus on screen time as a preventative measure for youth problem

behaviors” ( Ferguson). Some people will say it keeps children entertained and out of trouble

however, some caregivers use technology as a form of being a babysitter.

Although some research has not been studied long enough for some critics to trust, many

professionals indeed realize that the negative effects of too much screen time can out rule the

positive effects and can have more harm than good on a child's mental health. Less screen time

and more physical activity can lower the risk of low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety in
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children and teens. We can fix that issue by lowering our media and screen time and doing more

physical activities (Hrafnkelsdottir). “The purpose of this study was to examine both the separate

and interactive associations of screen time and physical activity with self-reported mental health

in Icelandic adolescents. We hypothesized that: 1) study participants with fewer hours of screen

time would be less likely to report experiencing symptoms of poor mental health, 2) participants

with higher levels of physical activity would also be less likely to report having symptoms of

poor mental health, and 3) participants with both fewer hours of screen time and higher levels of

physical activity would have the lowest risk of reporting mental health problems”

(Hrafnkelsdottir). Too much technology can cause children to have mental issues and become

depressed and have anxiety.

The dangers of obesity in children have gotten higher due to the rise of more technology

and children using more screen time. Excessive screen time can cause younger children to

become overweight because they are not outside doing physical activities but are inside being

stationary (Schwarzfischer). The activities of younger children and how they spend their time has

changed so much over the decades and how children in today's decade spend most of their time

sitting in front of a screen. (Schwarzfischer). Weight difference in children has changed as well

with time being spent in front of a screen now instead of being involved in an activity that

requires moving around (Schwarzfischer). If we limit children's screen time and encourage more

physical activity the number of obese children would go down (Schwarzfischer). Children are

getting less physical activity because they are more interested in being on their phones, watching

television, or playing video games and this can cause obesity and physical harm to a child.

Considering the overall research that has been done, parents should earnestly evaluate

and make it a priority to put a time restriction on their child's time using technology for the best
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interest of their child's mental and physical health. Too much screen time and technology can

make children become obese and ruin their sleep schedule. Spending too much time in front of a

screen can also affect children's mental health. With all this research and points of interest

studied, we should make every effort to make sure our children's health and mental state are

important enough to take the necessary steps to help ensure the well-being of our children. These

issues can start at a young age and go all the way until adulthood and that is why it is so

important to be proactive at a young age so there are no repercussions as the child grows into

adulthood.
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References

Chaput, Jean-Philippe, et al. “Systematic Review of the Relationships between Sleep Duration

and Health Indicators in the Early Years (0-4 Years).” BMC Public Health, vol. 17, Nov.

2017, pp. 91–107. Academic Search Complete, doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4850-2.

Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

Fang, Kehong, et al. “Screen Time and Childhood Overweight/Obesity: A Systematic Review

and Meta‐analysis.” Child: Care, Health & Development, vol. 45, no. 5, Sept. 2019, pp.

744–753. Academic Search Complete, doi:10.1111/cch.12701.

Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

Ferguson, Christopher. “Everything in Moderation: Moderate Use of Screens Unassociated with

Child Behavior Problems.” Psychiatric Quarterly, vol. 88, no. 4, Dec. 2017, pp. 797–805.

Academic Search Complete, doi:10.1007/s11126-016-9486-3.

Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

Hrafnkelsdottir, Soffia M., et al. "Less screen time and more frequent vigorous physical activity

is associated with a lower risk of reporting negative mental health symptoms among

Icelandic adolescents." PLOS ONE, vol. 13, no. 4, 2018, p. e0196286. Gale In Context:

Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A536332657/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=5290fb3b. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

Schwarzfischer, Phillipp, et al. "Effects of screen time and playing outside on anthropometric
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measures in preschool-aged children." PLOS ONE, vol. 15, no. 3, 2020, p. E0229708.

Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpointslink.gale.com/apps/doc/A616007196/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=007cf3ff. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.