How much time are children allowed to spend in front of a tablet, smartphone and TV?

How does the use of smartphones and TVs affect children's cognition??

Researchers now found that children should spend less than two hours a day in front of the TV, tablet, smartphone, or game console to boost their memory, attention, processing speed, and language. In addition, it is very important that children get enough sleep and enough physical activity.

The researchers at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute found in their current study that children should spend no more than two hours a day in front of the screen. This coupled with enough sleep and physical activity leads to improved cognition. The physicians published the results of their study in the English language journal "The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health".

Children are affected by excessive smartphone and tablet usage in their mental development. (Image: Natallia Vintsik / fotolia.com)

Experts analyzed the data of about 4,500 children

The study involved approximately 4,500 children between the ages of eight and eleven and studied their daily habits compared to recommended guidelines for children and adolescents. It was found that 51 percent of children received the recommended nine to eleven hours of uninterrupted sleep per night, 37 percent spent less than two hours a day in front of the screen, and 18 percent met recommended physical activity levels of at least 60 minutes Day. However, only five percent of the children in the study met all three recommendations. 30 percent of the children did not fulfill any of the requirements at all, say the doctors.

Where were the average results of the subjects?

On average, the participants slept 9.1 hours per night and spent a total of 3.6 hours in front of the TV, laptop or smartphone. The children reached the physical activity goal on average at 3.7 days per week. The researchers found that children who followed any of the recommendations showed positive effects on their cognition. These included memory, attention, processing speed and language. When children achieved all the goals of the three recommendations, this led to the best results, followed by the children who met the goals of sleep and screen time recommendations.

Combination of the factors has so far been disregarded

It is well-known that physical activity, sleep and screen time each individually can influence the cognitive health of a child, the doctors say. However, these behaviors were never considered in combination, study author Dr. Jeremy Walsh from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. The 30 percent of children who did not follow any of the recommendations could benefit the most from adjusting their daily behavior. They do not currently have any positive effects on cognitive abilities, the expert explains.

Should there be clearer guidelines for parents?

Some researchers argue that there should be clear guidelines governing how much time children spend in front of the screen, promoting physical activity time, and determining in-home zones that are technology-free, such as the child's bedroom. The recommended screen duration depends on the age of the child. (As)