Good parents do not let their kids sit in front of a screen…or at least if they want happier children.
According to a study put out from University of South Australia in BMC Pediatrics, researchers analyzed almost 62,000 students in school between the ages of 4 to 9 from the 2018 South Australian Well-being and Engagement Collection study and found that screen time led to more unhappiness while activities led to more happiness. The study assessed the average number days per week children participated in after-school activities versus in front of a screen for television and social media against well-being factors such as happiness, sadness, worry, engagement, perserverance, emotional regulaiton, optimism, and life satisfaction.
On average, they found students watched television four days of the school week and spent time on social media about three days (Are they sure about this? I’m sure American kids are probably worse).
They found that students who played sport were 15% more likely to be optimisitc, 14% likely to be happy and satisfied with life, and 10% more likely to regulate their emotions. On the other hand, the study found the opposite for kids who’s primary activities are video games and social media with 9% less likely to be happy, 8% less likely to be optimistic, and 11% more likely to give-up.
They also found some positive association with doing homework. “It’s interesting because you might think that it’s the lack of physical movement that’s causing this, yet our research shows that doing homework or reading—both sedentary activities—positively contribute to well-being, so it’s something else. In fact, we found that children’s well-being was higher when they participated in extra-curricular activities—even if they already reported being happy, ” said author, Rosa Virgara.
“All in all, the message is clear—gaming, watching TV, playing on computers, and scrolling through social media are not helping build or sustain positive well-being in children,” continued Virgara.
You should get off social media and mind-numbing television activities and so should your children. Stop rotting your bodies and mind on your couch.
E. Kennewell et al. The relationships between school children’s wellbeing, socio-economic disadvantage and after-school activities: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatrics. DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03322-1
