Is screen time one of the biggest things you and your kids disagree about? If you’re frustrated because you feel like you’re always hounding your children to get off their screens, you’re not alone. Sometimes it may seem like it would just be easier to let them spend 24/7 staring at their phones, tablets and computers than to try to get them to stop, but new research suggests not to give up the fight.
According to a new study from the University of Southern Denmark, limiting kids’ entertainment screen time to just three hours a week can lead to “significant improvements” in their mental health and behavior. And it only takes two weeks to see the benefit.
- The study involved 89 families with 181 children and teens between four and 17 years old.
- Half of them were asked to limit their leisure screen time from the average seven or eight hours a day they were getting to just three hours a week.
- This is just screen time for fun, not the time they need to be on screens for school or homework.
- After just 14 days of the reduced screen time routine, those kids had a “decrease in behavioral difficulties” and improvements in emotional well-being.
Study authors note that the quick improvement is especially striking because of the short amount of time it took to see results. This shows that even a short period of reduced screen time can have measurable benefits for kids’ mental health. The results also indicate that cutting screen time can help kids better process their emotions and improve social interactions with peers.
Source: Study Finds