Adolescence Screen Time Spikes Risk of This Mental Health Disorder
By Movieguide® Contributor
A new study has found a link between children’s screen time use and bipolar disorder.
The study, published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, observed 11,875 children from ages 9-10 between 2016-2018 and found that those who used a high amount of screen time exhibited bipolar-spectrum features such as “inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, rapid speech, racing thoughts, and impulsivity.”
The NIH defines bipolar disorder as “a mental illness that causes clear shifts in a person’s mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration. People with bipolar disorder often experience periods of extremely ‘up,’ elated, irritable, or energized behavior (known as manic episodes) and very ‘down,’ sad, indifferent, or hopeless periods (known as depressive episodes).”
“Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable time for the development of bipolar-spectrum disorders,” said Dr. Jason Nagata, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and co-author in the study. “Given that earlier onset of symptoms is linked with more severe and chronic outcomes, it’s important to understand what might contribute to the onset or worsening of manic symptoms in teenagers.”
The study concluded that things like “problematic screen use, video game use, and sleep duration” are potential factors contributing to the relationship between screen time and “manic symptoms in early adolescence.”
READ MORE: IS IT REALLY THAT BAD IF KIDS HAVE SCREEN TIME?
“Although screen time can have important benefits such as education and increased socialization, parents should be aware of the potential risks, especially to mental health,” Nagata added. “Families can develop a media plan which could include screen-free times before bedtime.”
With this knowledge and other known dangers surrounding screen time, parents should start implementing healthy screen time boundaries.
The Mayo Clinic discourages any screen use, except for video chatting, for children under 18 months. For children 18-24 months, screen time should still be avoided, but if parents choose to introduce it, it should be “high quality and avoid solo media use.” Children ages 2-5 should be limited to one hour per day of high-quality programming. For children 6 and older, parents should establish clear screen time limits that protect their kids from the technology’s risks.
READ MORE: DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SCREEN TIME IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOU CHILD?
- Content: +4Share:
- Content: +2