It is no secret that smartphones are having an unpredictable effect on the mental health of children, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it can be difficult to prevent them from looking at screens. Countless activities have to be done through screens, and that can make it more challenging to keep kids away from them than might have been the case otherwise.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that limiting screen time is important regardless of such factors. Too much screen time can be dangerous because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up leading to an increase in suicidal thoughts for children between the ages of nine and eleven.
This comes from a study conducted by researchers which looked into the type of impact that such behavior could have. According to the findings published in this study, it appears that every additional hour of screen time can result in an equal increase in the chances that the child will experience thoughts of suicide at some point in the future.
This study didn’t just focus on social media, either. Any type of screen time whether it involved video games, text messaging or streaming content could lead to an uptick in suicidal thoughts. This reveals just how important it is for parents to keep an eye on their kids and prevent them from overdoing it with their phones.
Interestingly, the findings from this study seem to suggest that it’s not just information overload that is causing these thoughts. If that were the case, only social media would be contributing to a higher likelihood of suicidal thoughts.
However, it can clearly be seen that screen time is generally not all that healthy for children with all things having been considered and taken into account. The type of activity that the screen time involves is not quite as relevant as the fact that they are looking at screens that are on their phones.
Read next: Overusing Social Media Could Lead to Reduced Brain Activity Among Teens
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that limiting screen time is important regardless of such factors. Too much screen time can be dangerous because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up leading to an increase in suicidal thoughts for children between the ages of nine and eleven.
This comes from a study conducted by researchers which looked into the type of impact that such behavior could have. According to the findings published in this study, it appears that every additional hour of screen time can result in an equal increase in the chances that the child will experience thoughts of suicide at some point in the future.
This study didn’t just focus on social media, either. Any type of screen time whether it involved video games, text messaging or streaming content could lead to an uptick in suicidal thoughts. This reveals just how important it is for parents to keep an eye on their kids and prevent them from overdoing it with their phones.
Interestingly, the findings from this study seem to suggest that it’s not just information overload that is causing these thoughts. If that were the case, only social media would be contributing to a higher likelihood of suicidal thoughts.
However, it can clearly be seen that screen time is generally not all that healthy for children with all things having been considered and taken into account. The type of activity that the screen time involves is not quite as relevant as the fact that they are looking at screens that are on their phones.
Read next: Overusing Social Media Could Lead to Reduced Brain Activity Among Teens
