Think weekly soccer practice will counter the negative health effects of too much screen time in your kid? Not necessarily. Researchers at the University of Bristol in the U.K. suggest screen time can also lead to psychological problems, even if a child is physically active.
The research team studied more than 1,000 10- and 11-year-olds and looked at the amount of time they spent watching TV and using a computer daily, their level of physical activity (tested with an accelerometer) and their psychological health (tested with a questionnaire that assessed hyperactivity, emotional well-being and peer relations).
Kids who were found to suffer from psychological problems were the ones who said they rarely engaged with peers and were often unhappy.
The baseline is what’s troubling: A mere two hours is enough to do psychological damage.
The risk increased if the children didn’t meet physical activity targets for their age group. But even getting adequate exercise didn't counteract the negative effects. Angie Page, the lead author of the study, said in a press release, “We cannot rely on physical activity to 'compensate' for long hours of screen viewing.”
Maybe it’s time to replace those newfangled interactive white boards with their chalkboard predecessors and to reintroduce your kid to the joys of Lego.
