A team of psychologists and mental health specialists in Denmark, along with a colleague from the U.K., has discovered that reducing children’s screen time to just three hours per week can lead to significant improvements in their mental health.
Their findings, published in JAMA Network Open, come from a randomized clinical trial involving 89 families and highlight the impact of screen time reduction on children’s well-being.
Previous research has shown that children who spend long periods on electronic devices—whether watching movies, using social media, or playing video games—often face mental health issues such as antisocial behavior and emotional difficulties.
These problems become particularly concerning when widespread, as statistics indicate that children in Denmark spend an average of 7 to 8 hours daily on personal electronic devices, leaving little time for other activities outside school.
In this new study, the research team set out to investigate whether reducing screen time would improve mental health and how quickly any changes might occur. The trial involved 181 children from 89 families across 10 cities in Denmark.
Researchers used the “Utilizing the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire” to assess the children’s social skills, behavior, emotional stability, and overall mental health.
The study asked children in 45 of the families to limit their use of electronic devices to just three hours per week, excluding school-related use, for two weeks.
Video monitors were installed in participants’ homes to ensure adherence to the restriction. After the two-week period, all the children completed the same questionnaire again.
The results showed significant improvements in the children’s social skills, with notable reductions in behavioral problems and emotional issues. The findings suggest that cutting back on screen time can quickly and positively affect children’s mental health.
This study underscores the potential benefits of reducing screen time for children and highlights the importance of monitoring and managing their use of electronic devices to promote better mental health outcomes.
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The research findings can be found in JAMA Network Open.
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