IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i17p9143-d625311.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Differential Impact of Screen Time on Children’s Wellbeing

Author

Listed:
  • Sarahjane Belton

    (School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Johann Issartel

    (School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Stephen Behan

    (School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland
    INSIGHT Centre for Data Analytics, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Hannah Goss

    (School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Cameron Peers

    (Faculty of Science and Health, Dublin City University, D09 NA55 Dublin, Ireland)

Abstract

Increased screen time has been found to be associated with a number of negative health and wellbeing indicators in youth populations. An increasing number of studies have investigated the association between screen time and wellbeing in adolescents, but evidence in younger children is still emerging. This 2017 study explored the effect of leisure screen time and gender on dimensions of wellbeing (measured using KIDSCREEN-27) in a national sample of 897 Irish primary school children aged 8–12 years. Participants had a mean age of 10.9 ± 1.16 years and were 47.7% female. Just over 30% of the sample accumulated 2 h or more of leisure screen time daily. Results show that there was no significant interaction between screen time category (<2 h/2 h + daily) and gender on overall wellbeing, while controlling for BMI. Children who self-reported <2 h of leisure screen time scored significantly higher on four dimensions of wellbeing: physical, parental, peers, and school, but not psychological. This study supports the growing evidence of the impact that leisure screen time has on health. Further longitudinal research investigating the impact of sub-categories of leisure screen time behaviour on wellbeing is warranted.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarahjane Belton & Johann Issartel & Stephen Behan & Hannah Goss & Cameron Peers, 2021. "The Differential Impact of Screen Time on Children’s Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9143-:d:625311
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9143/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/9143/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jean-Philippe Chaput & Valerie Carson & Casey E. Gray & Mark S. Tremblay, 2014. "Importance of All Movement Behaviors in a 24 Hour Period for Overall Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-7, December.
    2. Maykel Verkuyten & Jochem Thijs, 2002. "School Satisfaction of Elementary School Children: The Role of Performance, Peer Relations, Ethnicity and Gender," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 203-228, August.
    3. Seraphim Dempsey & Seán Lyons & Selina McCoy, 2019. "Later is better: mobile phone ownership and child academic development, evidence from a longitudinal study," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(8), pages 798-815, November.
    4. Travis J. Saunders & Jeff K. Vallance, 2017. "Screen Time and Health Indicators Among Children and Youth: Current Evidence, Limitations and Future Directions," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 323-331, June.
    5. Melissa Bohnert & Pablo Gracia, 2021. "Emerging Digital Generations? Impacts of Child Digital Use on Mental and Socioemotional Well-Being across Two Cohorts in Ireland, 2007–2018," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(2), pages 629-659, April.
    6. Dempsey, Seraphim & Lyons, Séan & McCoy, Selina, 2019. "Later is better: Mobile phone ownership and child academic development," Papers RB201903, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    7. Linda K. Kaye & Amy Orben & David A. Ellis & Simon C. Hunter & Stephen Houghton, 2020. "The Conceptual and Methodological Mayhem of “Screen Time”," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-10, May.
    8. George Thomas & Jason A. Bennie & Katrien Cocker & Oscar Castro & Stuart J. H. Biddle, 2020. "A Descriptive Epidemiology of Screen-Based Devices by Children and Adolescents: a Scoping Review of 130 Surveillance Studies Since 2000," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(3), pages 935-950, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Smyth, Emer, 2022. "The changing social worlds of 9-year-olds," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS151, June.
    2. Mohan, Gretta & McCoy, Selina & Carroll, Eamonn & Mihut, Georgiana & Lyons, Seán & Mac Domhnaill, Ciarán, 2020. "Learning for all? Second-Level education in Ireland during COVID-19," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number SUSTAT92, June.
    3. Melissa Bohnert & Pablo Gracia, 2021. "Emerging Digital Generations? Impacts of Child Digital Use on Mental and Socioemotional Well-Being across Two Cohorts in Ireland, 2007–2018," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(2), pages 629-659, April.
    4. Melchor Gómez-García & Hassan Hossein-Mohand & Juan Manuel Trujillo-Torres & Hossein Hossein-Mohand & Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz, 2020. "Technological Factors That Influence the Mathematics Performance of Secondary School Students," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-14, November.
    5. Jesús de la Fuente & Erika Andrea Malpica-Chavarria & Angélica Garzón-Umerenkova & Mónica Pachón-Basallo, 2021. "Effect of Personal and Contextual Factors of Regulation on Academic Achievement during Adolescence: The Role of Gender and Age," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-18, August.
    6. McCoy, Selina & Mihut, Georgiana, 2020. "Examining the experiences of students, teachers and leaders at Educate Together second level schools," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS113, June.
    7. Jinfeng Zhao & Lisa Mackay & Kevin Chang & Suzanne Mavoa & Tom Stewart & Erika Ikeda & Niamh Donnellan & Melody Smith, 2019. "Visualising Combined Time Use Patterns of Children’s Activities and Their Association with Weight Status and Neighbourhood Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-16, March.
    8. Satish Kumar & Filomena Maggino & Raj V. Mahto & Riya Sureka & Leonardo Salvatore Alaimo & Weng Marc Lim, 2022. "Social Indicators Research: A Retrospective Using Bibliometric Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(1), pages 413-448, July.
    9. Joanna Baj-Korpak & Marian Jan Stelmach & Kamil Zaworski & Piotr Lichograj & Marek Wochna, 2022. "Assessment of Motor Abilities and Physical Fitness in Youth in the Context of Talent Identification—OSF Test," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-19, November.
    10. Lili Tian & Shuya Chu & E. Scott Huebner, 2016. "The Chain of Relationships Among Gratitude, Prosocial Behavior and Elementary School Students’ School Satisfaction: The Role of School Affect," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 9(2), pages 515-532, June.
    11. Xinjie Chen & Zhihui Cai & Jinbo He & Xitao Fan, 2020. "Gender Differences in Life Satisfaction Among Children and Adolescents: A Meta-analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2279-2307, August.
    12. Tarun R. Katapally & Nazeem Muhajarine, 2015. "Capturing the Interrelationship between Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour in Children in the Context of Diverse Environmental Exposures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-17, September.
    13. Zhiqiang Ren & Jianyi Tan & Baoying Huang & Jinqun Cheng & Yanhong Huang & Peng Xu & Xuanbi Fang & Hongjuan Li & Dongmei Zhang & Yanhui Gao, 2022. "Association between 24-Hour Movement Behaviors and Smartphone Addiction among Adolescents in Foshan City, Southern China: Compositional Data Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-13, August.
    14. Karaca, Ayda & Demirci, Necip & Caglar, Emine & Konsuk Unlu, Hande, 2021. "Correlates of Internet addiction in Turkish adolescents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    15. Margaret M. Thomas & Jessica Gugusheff & Heather J. Baldwin & Joanne Gale & Sinead Boylan & Seema Mihrshahi, 2020. "Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours Are Associated with Children’s Psychological Health: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-11, October.
    16. Elvar S. Saevarsson & Vaka Rognvaldsdottir & Runa Stefansdottir & Erlingur Johannsson, 2021. "Organized Sport Participation, Physical Activity, Sleep and Screen Time in 16-Year-Old Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-10, March.
    17. Mikel Vaquero-Solís & Miguel Angel Tapia-Serrano & David Hortigüela-Alcalá & Manuel Jacob-Sierra & Pedro Antonio Sánchez-Miguel, 2021. "Health Promotion through Movement Behaviors and Its Relationship with Quality of Life in Spanish High School Adolescents: A Predictive Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-10, July.
    18. Tomás Cano & Pablo Gracia, 2022. "The Gendered Effects of Divorce on Mothers’ and Fathers’ Time with Children and Children’s Developmental Activities: A Longitudinal Study," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(5), pages 1277-1313, December.
    19. Hongyan Jiang & Peizhen Sun & Yeyi Liu & Mengjie Pan, 2016. "Gratitude and Late Adolescents’ School Well-being: The Mediating Role of Materialism," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 1363-1376, July.
    20. Mhairi Patience & Xanne Janssen & Alison Kirk & Stephanie McCrory & Eilidh Russell & William Hodgson & Megan Crawford, 2023. "24-Hour Movement Behaviours (Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep) Association with Glycaemic Control and Psychosocial Outcomes in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review of ," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-18, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:9143-:d:625311. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.