Cutting Screen Time to 3 Hours Per Week Improves Kids’ Behavior and Mental Health in Days

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

Drastically reducing children’s leisure screen time to just three hours per week can lead to significant improvements in their mental health and behavior in as little as two weeks, a new study shows. The research, led by Dr. Jesper Schmidt-Persson from the University of Southern Denmark, offers a powerful and actionable strategy for parents concerned about their children’s well-being in our increasingly digital world.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, involved 89 families with 181 children and adolescents between four and 17 years old. Half of these families were asked to limit their leisure screen time to a maximum of three hours per week per person – a dramatic reduction from the average seven to eight hours per day that many children typically spend on screens for entertainment.

The results were remarkable. After just two weeks (14 days) of this reduced screen time regimen, children in the intervention group showed significant improvements in their overall behavior and emotional well-being. Using a standardized assessment tool called the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), researchers found that these children experienced a decrease in behavioral difficulties equivalent to moving from the “borderline” category to the “normal” category.

This rapid and substantial improvement is particularly striking given the short duration of the study. It suggests that even a brief period of reduced screen time can have measurable benefits for children’s mental health.

The most notable improvements were seen in internalizing symptoms – those related to emotional problems and difficulties with peers – and in prosocial behavior, which involves being considerate and helpful towards others. This indicates that reducing screen time may help children better process their emotions and improve their social interactions.

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/cutting-screen-time-kids-behavior/