These days it’s not uncommon to find parents using smartphones or tablets to keep their children entertained while at dinner. It was later suggested that excessive screen time for kids was bad and that it potentially had the ability to physically change the brain structure in kids. However, as it turns out, that might not be the case anymore.In a new study conducted by Oxford University and published in Nature Human Behaviour, it was found that studies that suggested that screen time for kids was dangerous might be wrong, and that there is close to no effect on the psychological health of a child.
In a writeup of the study in Scientific American, author Lydia Denworth wrote, “Technology use tilts the needle less than half a percent away from feeling emotionally sound. For context, eating potatoes is associated with nearly the same degree of effect and wearing glasses has a more negative impact on adolescent mental health.”
However, this does not mean that parents should just let their kids run wild with their smartphones and tablets. The study basically shows that screen time for kids isn’t as bad for their psychological health as previously thought, but at the same time, letting your kids become obsessed or addicted where it might affect their social life or education is probably not a good idea.
Thankfully though, companies such as Apple and Google have put into place certain measures that helps parents better control how long their kids can spend on their mobile devices.