A study at the University of South Australia (UniSA) found, whether you are reading, playing sports, or hanging out with a friend, you are probably healthier and happier than sitting around with your eyes glued to a screen.
The study selected 61,759 students at random in grades 4 through 9, and compared the average amount of days per week each participated in physical activities from 3 to 6p.m against the wellbeing factors of happiness, engagement, perseverance, optimism, and sadness.
According to the study, two hours of screen time can make girls suffer ill-health, a condition of inferior health in which some disease or impairment of function is present but not as serious an illness. Boys can spend twice as much time on screens before getting health-issues since they tend to do more physical activities throughout the day. “Screens can chip away our mental and physical health,”UniSA lead researcher Dr. Rosa Virgara said.
When kids are gaming, on social media, watching YouTube, or hanging around on a device, it’s all harming their bodies. If you add all the screen time accumulated throughout the up, thenboom! Five hours of screens a day, easy!
According to Dr. Virgara, “What this shows is that we need to find ways to encourage children of all ages and backgrounds to get involved in activities that keep them away from TV, computers and mobile devices.” Parents could swap some screen time for “green time” outside. Kids that actively play outside tend to be happier and healthier. This include going out to a park, playing sports and hanging out with friends. This goes back to our point that children who do physical activities are happier and healthier than those who overuse screens.
The study selected 61,759 students at random in grades 4 through 9, and compared the average amount of days per week each participated in physical activities from 3 to 6p.m against the wellbeing factors of happiness, engagement, perseverance, optimism, and sadness.
According to the study, two hours of screen time can make girls suffer ill-health, a condition of inferior health in which some disease or impairment of function is present but not as serious an illness. Boys can spend twice as much time on screens before getting health-issues since they tend to do more physical activities throughout the day. “Screens can chip away our mental and physical health,”UniSA lead researcher Dr. Rosa Virgara said.
When kids are gaming, on social media, watching YouTube, or hanging around on a device, it’s all harming their bodies. If you add all the screen time accumulated throughout the up, thenboom! Five hours of screens a day, easy!
According to Dr. Virgara, “What this shows is that we need to find ways to encourage children of all ages and backgrounds to get involved in activities that keep them away from TV, computers and mobile devices.” Parents could swap some screen time for “green time” outside. Kids that actively play outside tend to be happier and healthier. This include going out to a park, playing sports and hanging out with friends. This goes back to our point that children who do physical activities are happier and healthier than those who overuse screens.
