Screen time has negligible impact on children, claims US study but with a catch

Children glued to digital screens for long hours have been a nightmare for almost every parent. The screen-related activities have increased during the pandemic that have only added to the concerns. However, a new US study might lessen their worries a little as it suggests that increased screen time has very little chance of causing a direct impact on children.

Published in the journal PLoS ONE, the study has garnered much attention for its claims, although, this alone should not be a reason to be unwary about the harmful effects of exposure to digital screens. 

Screen time is linked to improved peer relations: Study

As contradictory as it may sound, but the study stated that increased screen time is linked to improved peer relations and not to depression or anxiety. These conclusions were derived after observing 12,000 nine-to-ten-year-olds from 24 different regions in the US, reported The Conversation. Explaining how sticking to screens can improve relations among kids, the study stated that online games and social networking have played a huge role in doing so. 

Moreover, the researchers also collected data by noting the relationship between the children's academic performances, sleep patterns, peer relationships and mental health with screen time. Besides, they also conducted questionnaires, for both the volunteer children and their parents, that included questions about behaviour, anxiety, sleep, grades and number of friends of the children. 

Despite the experts finding a minor association between increased screen time and lack of sleep in children, academic performance and attention span, they argued that there was no confirmation for any direct link between the two. However, these claims by the study, about kids being safe from screen time, should be taken with a pinch of salt as there are many loopholes to the survey. The first reason for the study's unreliability can be attributed to inaccurate reporting by parents during the questionnaire, while other reasons can be design of the study and social quality measurement.

Other ill-effects of glueing to screens

The higher rate of activity before digital screens during the pandemic has increased the cases of dry eye syndrome amongst the people. This syndrome is a result of dry eyes due to the evaporation of tears and estimated that six out of 10 adults suffer from dry eyes. It is basically a result of staring at a screen for hours without a break, lack of blinking and a lack of lubrication in the eye due to ineffective working of the tear glands. 

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