Screen Time Better for Teens than Disconnection

Screen time worries many parents, who fear it interferes with social development. Find out why a new study shows that restricted Internet access is more detrimental to teen self-esteem.

My mom used to refer to the television as “the idiot box.” She would often wander off into another room and read a book rather than sit through the programming the rest of us enjoyed.

I bought my first home computer from Radio Shack about 35 years ago, and I was hooked from the start. I can remember sitting in our dark, dusty cellar, staring at its TV screen late into the night.

So, screen time isn’t a new idea. Even so, parents, teachers and other caregivers coined the term to describe viewing habits about ten years ago.

Shift from TV and Video Games to Smartphones and Tablets

A big part of that concern has been the shift from TV and video game consoles to smartphones and tablets. In 2011, mobile devices represented about 4% of children’s screen time, while in 2017, it had risen to 35%.

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that children’s screen time shot up by…