Primary school age children’s device time increased by an hour and 23 minutes per day during the pandemic

The square-eye warning could be off-putting, as elementary school-age children saw the biggest increase in daily device use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new study has found that 6 to 10 year olds spend more than an hour and 23 minutes staring at screens each day – the biggest jump of all demographics.

However, according to scientists at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, the increase was seen in all age groups, including adults.

This is not only due to spending more time in front of screens for work or study purposes, as leisure time on screens alone is also increasing across all age groups.

The researchers found that an increase in screen time was associated with negative effects on diet, sleep, mental health, and eye health in both children and adults.

In children, a significant association was also found between screen time and behavioral problems such as aggression and irritability.

A new study has found that children aged 6 to 10 spend more than an hour and 23 minutes staring at screens each day during the pandemic – the biggest jump of all demographics.

However, according to scientists at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, an increase in daily device use is seen in all post-COVID age groups, including adults.

Lead author, Professor Shahina Pardhan, director of the Institute of Vision and Eye Research at the university, said: ‘This study is the first of its kind to systematically review research papers. peer-reviewed on the increase in screen time during the pandemic and its impact.

‘By bringing many studies together, we get a much more accurate picture of device time in the population and its related health effects.

‘As with any study of this type, there are degrees of variation among the studies reviewed.

‘However, the overall picture provides clear evidence that device life should be reduced where possible to minimize potential negative outcomes.

‘These include adverse behaviors in terms of diet, sleep, mental health and effects on eye health.

‘It’s also important that non-sedentary activities are encouraged to reduce the risk of increased device time.’

The researchers analyzed the results of 89 different studies that focused on increases in device use before and during the pandemic, through December 2021.

This gives a total sample size of over 200,000 people.

After primary school age, adults’ time looking at screens such as TVs or computers increases second.

Showtime over 18s increased by 58 minutes, and 11 to 17 year olds came in third with 55 minutes.

The study found that children under the age of 5 had the lowest increase in screen time, increasing by 35 minutes.

Recreational device time, or device time unrelated to work or school, also increased across all age groups, but the largest increases were seen among children of primary school age.

Data published today in eClinicalMedicine shows that recreational device time, or time spent using devices unrelated to work or school, also increased across all age groups.

Again, children between the ages of 6 and 10 showed the most gain of 60 minutes per day, and adults came in second with a 42-minute increase.

The increase in device time was found to be associated with poorer diets in children and poorer eye health such as nearsightedness.

It has also been linked to a decline in mental health in children, including anxiety and behavioral problems such as aggression, irritability, and an increasing frequency of temper tantrums.

The study further identified a correlation between more time spent on devices and negative outcomes in adults.

This includes negative effects on their diet, eye health and mental health, such as anxiety, depression and loneliness.

It also affects adults’ general health, including fatigue, decreased physical activity, and weight gain.