- Researchers say children’s recreational screen time in the United States doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 专家说，过度的屏幕时间可能会产生许多影响，包括体重增加，抑郁和社交技能的降低。
- They say parents can reduce their children’s screen time by signing them up for sports or music classes, having them play outdoors, and setting a timer to make sure screen time ends as scheduled.
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研究人员从10至14岁的5,412名青少年中获取了数据，其中绝大多数年龄12-13岁。数据来自2020年5月的Covid-19调查，称为青少年脑认知发展（ABCD）学习。
同一组在大流行之前进行了调查，当时平均屏幕时间为每天3.8小时，尽管研究人员承认年龄差异可能在这里起着一个因素。
Nevertheless, the numbers show a significant increase in screen time, especially since “excessive screen time in adolescents has been associated with physical and mental health risks,” the study authors pointed out.
The usage was measured when the children were using electronic devices for “multiple-player gaming, single-player gaming, texting, social media, video chatting, browsing the internet, and watching or streaming moves, videos, or television shows.”
该研究由Jason M. Nagata博士，旧金山大学的儿科研究员。
“Different screen use modalities may have differential positive or negative consequences for adolescents’ well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the study’s authors wrote. “Adolescents experiencing stress and poor mental health may use screens to manage negative feelings or withdraw from stressors. Although some screen modalities may be used to promote social connection, higher coping behaviors and social support in this sample were associated with lower screen usage.”
The authors pointed out that, since the data was self-reported, there may be inherent limitations and that, since adolescents often multi-task while using electronic devices, “the computed total may be an overestimate.”
研究人员说：“随着大流行限制的解除，未来的研究应检查筛查趋势，并探索防止社会人口统计学差异的机制。”
霍莉·希夫（Holly Schiff）, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist with Jewish Family Services of Greenwich, Connecticut, told Healthline she’s already seeing the effects of increased screen time during the pandemic in her young clients.
她说：“我有许多儿童患者在社交技能困难和一些社会情感缺陷上，因为他们在屏幕上花了很多时间。”“当我们恢复正常时，许多人也会经历社交焦虑，因为他们害怕现实生活中的社交互动，因为他们没有能力参与。”
“I would like to believe that it will recede naturally as we get back to normal,” Dr. Schiff said. “However, I am already seeing resistance from most, as parents are trying to pull back on screen time and enforce limits. During the pandemic, children really did not have (many) other social outlets and were not able to engage in much outside of the house.
她说：“对于许多这些人来说，这变得非常令人上瘾。”“即使我们开始恢复正常，这些孩子现在很难减少并减少他们的屏幕时间，因为他们现在被挂在上面，并且不想更少。”
一个nthony Anzalone, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Healthline that suicide rates have risen for children ages 10 to 14 as social media use has surged, along with an increase in rates of diagnosed depression.
“We know that lower brain development (occurs) in pre-school kids who had increased screen time,” Dr. Anzalone said. “I’ve also encountered a lot of patients who feel compelled they have to know what’s going on, for fear of missing out. This worries me because it often detracts from people being able to attend to activities, work, or sustain attention on tasks.”
“存在这种矛盾的无聊,我们never have to be bored, but at the same time, we have a lower threshold for dealing with boredom,” he added.
Anzalone还告诉Healthli雷竞技app官网ne社交媒体加剧了焦虑并影响儿童睡眠方式，他认为这是“心理健康最大的基石之一”。
他指出：“睡眠通常被认为是心理健康的最大基石之一。”
Vanessa Neal博士, a pediatrician for SesameCare.com, told Healthline there are also physical health effects associated with too much screen time, like tired eyes, headaches, and weight gain associated with less physical activity.
父母确实可以选择取代屏幕，尤其是当我们摆脱大流行时。
Neal suggested signing children up for music classes or sports, which she said allow for more interaction with peers.
她补充说：“在家中时，设置计时器可以帮助调节屏幕的启动时间，奖励系统可以帮助鼓励用家务和需求更换屏幕时间。”
“Most importantly, parents and families must have grace with themselves during this transition,” Neal said. “It will take time to reverse unwanted habits created by the pandemic, but parents simply reshaping their vision of their family’s day-to-day experiences will go a long way,” Neal said.