concept

adolescent screen time

Also known as: youth screen time, child and adolescent screen time, adolescent screen use

Facts (17)

Sources

Associations between media parenting practices and early ... - Nature nature.com Nature Jun 5, 2024 17 facts

claimParent screen use, family mealtime screen use, and bedroom screen use are associated with greater adolescent screen time and problematic social media, video game, and mobile phone use, according to an analysis of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study data.

measurementParental control of adolescents’ screen use behavior, such as offering screen time as a reward for good behavior, is associated with higher adolescent screen time (B: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.60) and higher problematic video game scores (B: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.82).

measurementGreater parental screen time modeling, defined as parents' own use of a screen-based device when with their child, is significantly associated with higher adolescent screen time (B: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.96) and higher scores for problematic social media use (B: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.55, 1.10), problematic video game use (B: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.64), and problematic mobile phone use (B: 1.31, 95% CI: 0.82, 1.81).

measurementFamily mealtime screen use is associated with higher adolescent screen time (B: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.47) and higher scores for problematic social media use (B: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.64, 1.02), problematic video game use (B: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.71), and problematic mobile phone use (B: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.65).

claimStudies focusing on early adolescents have revealed that parental regulation or rules regarding screen use are associated with less adolescent screen time or a decreased likelihood of exceeding recommended screen time limits.

measurementParental monitoring of adolescent screen use is associated with lower adolescent screen time (B: –0.83, 95% CI: –1.05, –0.60), and lower problematic social media (B: –0.86, 95% CI: –1.04, –0.68) and mobile phone use (B: –1.12, 95% CI: –1.44, –0.81) scores.

measurementParental limiting of adolescent screen use is associated with lower adolescent screen time (B: –1.29, 95% CI: –1.59, –0.98) and lower problematic social media (B: –1.58, 95% CI: –1.83, –1.34), video game (B: –0.49, 95% CI: –0.72, –0.25), and mobile phone (B: –2.24, 95% CI: –2.66, –1.81) use.

claimChild and adolescent screen time changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis by S. Madigan et al. published in JAMA Pediatrics.

measurement67.4% of parents monitor their adolescent’s screen time during the week, and 76.2% of parents limit their adolescent’s screen time during the week.

measurementAdolescents’ bedroom screen use is associated with higher adolescent screen time (B: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.36, 1.85) and higher scores for problematic social media use (B: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.71, 2.11), problematic video game use (B: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.72), and problematic mobile phone use (B: 2.91, 95% CI: 2.56, 3.26).

claimGreater control of adolescent screen use as a reward or punishment was associated with increased total screen time and problematic screen use of video games.

claimParental use of screens to control behavior, such as using them as a reward or punishment, is associated with higher adolescent screen time and greater problematic video game use.

claimFamily mealtime screen use and child bedroom screen use are positively associated with adolescent total screen time and problematic use of social media, video games, and mobile phones.

referenceSanders et al. (2016) studied parental perceptions of technology and technology-focused parenting, finding associations with youth screen time.

claimThe authors of the study note that because their research is cross-sectional, they cannot determine the direction of causality between parenting practices and adolescent screen use.

claimParental monitoring of screens is associated with lower adolescent screen time and less problematic social media and mobile phone use.

claimParental limit setting of screens is associated with lower adolescent screen time and less problematic social media, video game, and mobile phone use.