Pandemic linked to significant jump in screen time for kids
Whether it was playing video games, doing homework or watching television, research out of Western University in London, Ont. found children were spending a lot of time in front of screens during the height of the pandemic restrictions.
“It went from just over two hours a day to almost six hours a day. Some parents reported their children were on screens for 13 hours a day,” said Emma Duerden, an assistant professor in Western’s Faculty of Education and a Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience and Learning Disorders.
Duerden and a research team that included members of Western’s Brain and Mind Institute (Diane Seguin, Elizabeth Kuenzel and J. Bruce Morton) conducted an online survey directed at parents with children ages six to 12.
The team was trying to evaluate how parents and children were faring during the restrictions, but the screen time numbers stood out.
"It's recommended [by the Canadian Paediatric Society] that for children over the age of five, that they have about two hours of screen time a day. So when we're seeing almost triple that amount a day, with some children really surpassing that, it becomes quite worrying," Duerden said.
The research was conducted at a time when schools were closed, playgrounds were taped off and socializing was limited. Parents were also facing their own workplace challenges.
"We don't know about the long-term effects of screen time on children's brain development and behaviour,” explains Duerden. “We do know that when we're sitting down and watching screens we're not doing other things that are very healthy for brain development. Things like exercising, reading, socializing with others."
One of the key questions is whether the screen time behaviours will stay with children beyond the pandemic. The Western team started that research in November of last year and it's ongoing, but early indicators show higher screen times are persisting.
"We're not seeing any changes in terms of decreases in screen time. So it's still high and it's staying high."
Duerden encourages parents to use the three M’s — ensure moderate use of electronics, monitor what children and seeing, and make screen time count by emphasizing educational opportunities.
She also says parents should pay close attention to changes in mood and behaviour during and after children have had screen time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.