More Screen Time = More Behavioral Problems in Preschoolers

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM

The more screen time preschoolers get each day, the more likely they are to exhibit behavioral problems, according to a study in PLOS One.

Researchers in Canada studied 2400 children whose parents completed questionnaires about screen time when the children were ages 3 and 5 years, as well as behavioral assessments at age 5 years.

Overall, 1.2% of the children had externalizing problems at age 5 (e.g., inattention, aggressiveness), and 2.5% had internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety, depression). Compared with children who got less than 30 minutes of screen time daily, those who got more than 2 hours had significantly increased risks for externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and total behavioral problems. In particular, children who got more than 2 hours daily were six times more likely to have inattention problems. Excessive screen time was also associated with nearly an eightfold increase in significant ADHD symptoms.

Of note, greater physical activity seemed protective against behavioral problems.