Unchecked usage can contribute to excessive screen time, abuse of social media and even addiction to screen activities, leading to increased vulnerability to psychological distress. — Photos: 123rf.com
“DOCTOR, is it safe to give my eight-year-old son a handphone? Isn’t screen time good for children?” It’s easy to answer that with a resounding no, but that’s oversimplifying the issue, and the topic of screen time among children and teenagers is complex and multifactorial.
Research into the well-being of children and teenagers have indicated that generally, increased screen time contributes to the risk of mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. This was true even before the Covid-19 pandemic. And given the explosion of screen use in the global population during and after lockdowns, the risk has now understandably increased.
However, the world is digitalised to a point where we cannot live without our gadgets. For many young people, the benefits of social media include online social support and validation, as well as an avenue for self-expression and disclosure, which are good for mental well-being. The internet is also a great source of information and other useful resources, especially for academic support and solutions, as well as entertainment.
But here’s a caveat; unchecked usage can contribute to excessive screen time, abuse of social media and even addiction to screen activities, leading to increased vulnerability to psychological distress.
The internet can be a great source of information and other useful resources, including academic support and solutions, as well as entertainment.
Defining excessive screen time
Screen time is excessive in children when it hinders the development of their adaptive behaviour skills. Children need a healthy amount of social and cognitive stimulation for language and academic development towards school readiness and literacy. These include executive function and problem-solving skills such as thinking, being resourceful, planning, organising and coordinating.
They also need opportunities to hone their social and play skills, as well as emotional and behavioural regulations to build positive relationships. Children need to engage in self-care activities and domestic tasks and have enough community understanding to be street smart. All these are on top of their basic hygiene, nutrition, physical fitness, rest and sleep. More often than not, screen time takes away these precious opportunities and time for these skills to be developed.
One of the biggest problems with increased screen time is the lack of rest and sleep. Sleep deficit is associated with a range of problems in children, such as behavioural issues, poor cognitive functioning and emotional instability. Lack of relaxation can contribute to fatigue and anxiety. These would automatically disrupt any form of development.
Another problem with excessive screen time is unhealthy sedentary lifestyle leading to deficits in social, cognitive and physical stimulation that are vital for brain development that facilitates overall growth – intelligence, physicality and emotional regulation.
Screen time also takes away actual social interactions that are crucial in the early years as children learn to form meaningful friendships and to continue building positive relationships through effective communication, play and reading of emotions.
To counter excessive use of gadgets in children, parents can structure their children’s time to encourage necessary developmental activities for adaptive behaviour skills like playing with friends, looking after themselves, doing age-appropriate household chores, organising and planning, among others.
Stop screen, go green
It is also useful to replace screen time with green time – a conscious exposure to greenery and the outdoors. Where screen time is a risk factor, green time has been found to be a protective shield in the healthy development of children.
What we know from research is that psychological functioning and resilience has a lot to do with adequate adaptive behaviour skills. Children who have difficulties in problem solving, socialising as well as emotion and behaviour regulation are at risk of developing mental health issues.
While it may be convenient for parents to give their children gadgets to keep them occupied or as a way of managing their behaviour, it is important to consider how much time they have to develop essential skills for their overall development. If they don’t learn how to regulate themselves without a gadget, they would be very vulnerable to various emotional, behavioural and cognitive issues as they grow up.
That said, the connection between screen time and mental health problems is not clear cut. Mental health problems are multifactorial – a mix of various factors including biological predisposition, cognitive function, coping mechanisms, behavioural conditioning, developmental history, social influences and environmental factors all play their roles.
And when it comes to screen exposure, duration alone is not the whole story. Parents should also be mindful of the context of use as well as the contents their children are exposed to. The internet is a Wild Wild West. There is plenty of misinformation, harmful information and cyberbullying. Children and teenagers do not yet have the maturity to handle the complexities of such a cocktail of information, and they might find them overwhelming and disturbing.
So parents, before you give your children a handphone or a tablet, consider getting yourself empowered first, to address potential screen time issues affecting your child. Nurture them to be independent, healthy and functional individuals with capabilities to contribute as valuable citizens. When you are unsure, consult professionals who are able to provide evidence-based parenting support to help you navigate the hurdles of parenting.
Dr Alvin Ng Lai Oon is a professor at the Department of Psychology, School of Medical and Life Science, Sunway University. He is a clinical psychologist by training and is passionate in promoting mental health literacy in the community.
