Come on teens, get off the screen, go out into the green!

Screen time and

Sedentary behaviours
What is it?
Screen time is the time spent on electronic devices. It
involves gaming, watching TV, and social media.
Sedentary behavior is being physically inactive, and
doing things in a lying or sitting position for extended
periods of time.
Why is it an issue?
Time on screen is becoming longer as children are
becoming exposed to technology and its addictive
nature. According to the National Institute on Drug
Abuse (NIDA) (n.d) teens spend approximately 7
hours and 22 minutes on the screen per day.

Positive behaviours
Track and set limits
Set limits for 2 hours (as recommended by the Australian Government)
Apps like Forest, OFFTIME and BreakFree can help
Use these apps to track your screen time habits!
Find hobbies and dedicate time to them
To help break up blocks of sedentary time, physical activities/sports are encouraged.
Can also improve your involvement with other members of society
Turn on grayscale
The brain subconsciously has less interest in the content than with colour
The addictive nature of games and social media can be toned down
End up spending less time on the screen

The Guidelines Health effects

The Australian Institute of Sleep:

Family Studies (AIFS) (2021)
recommends that children
aged from 5-17 should have
no more than 2 hours of
sedentary recreational
screen time per week. AIFS
also found that of the 5-12
year olds, only 15% actually
meet this guideline.
Hours of sedentary
recreational screen
time per week
2 hours
15%
2+ hours
85%
Teens are spending more time
on screens than anything else
which leads to less time in other
activities.
In response to darkness, melatonin is released in order to assist
your body in sleeping. However, the blue light coming from
screens hinders this process, lowering melatonin levels. This
causes trouble in falling asleep and getting enough sleep.
Screen time’s addictive nature also stops teens from falling
asleep because they want to continue spending time on the
screen. Lack of sleep then affects other bodily functions, like
your immune system, along with cognitive functions such as
concentration, learning, processing and storing information.
Mood:
Research on the connection between
screen time and emotions is still going
underway. Some studies show that
screen time can be linked to depression,
anxiety and mood (NIDA, n.d).
Cortex Development
The cortex refers to the outermost layer of your brain and is
responsible for processing information, problem solving,
emotions, and your senses. Screen time and sedentary
behaviours affect the growth of this part of the brain. The
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study has found that
those who spend more time on screens have a thinner cortex.