It’s hard to keep up with studies. One day we’re running away from egg yolk. The next day we’re chugging it. One day our flip-flops are a harbinger of death. The next day a crazy mom site is tell you that some flip-flops are okay, after all. And now experts are flip-flopping on how much screen time is healthy for kids, claiming that teens will most likely be fine if they spend some extra time on their phone or computer.
A new study published in Psychiatric Quarterly suggests that, contrary to earlier claims, the link between heavy screen time and teen depression is actually quite minimal. Until late last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended only two hours of screen time a day for youth; however, they’ve since dropped this recommendation from their new guidelines because the data guiding these recommendations is unclear and, honestly, screen time suggestions are simply experts’ best guesses. That sounds reasonable. But here’s the crazy part: results from the new study suggests that children are just fine with up to six hours of screen consumption daily. SIX. HOURS. So, basically, the amount of one Martin Scorsese movie. Yowza. Something tells me parents will still be all…
Lead researcher, Dr. Christopher Ferguson of Stetson University, sees more value in focusing on how media are used — for example, as a tool for learning and socialization — than on time consumption alone.