Too much time spent on gaming, smartphones and watching television is linked to heightened levels and diagnoses (诊断) of anxiety or depression in children as young as age 2, according to a new study.
Even after only one hour of screen time daily, children and teens may begin to have less curiosity, lower self-control, less emotional stability and a greater inability to finish tasks, reports San Diego State University psychologist Jean Twenge and University of Ceorgia psychology professor W. Keith Campbell. They were particularly interested in associations between screen time and diagnoses of anxiety and depression in youth, which has not yet been studied in great detail.
Twenge and Campbell found adolescents who spend more than seven hours a day on screens were twice as likely as those spending one hour to have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Overall, links between screen time and well-being were larger among adolescents than among young children.
“At first, I was surprised that the associations were larger for adolescents,” Twenge said. “However, adolescents spend more time on their phones and on social media, and these activities are more strongly linked to low well-being than watching television and videos, which is most of younger children’s screen time.”
The study provides further evidence that the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) established screen time limits — one hour per day for those aged 2 to 5, with a focus on high-quality programs — are valid (有效的), Twenge said. The study also suggests that similar limits — perhaps to two hours a day-should be applied to school-aged children and adolescents, said Twenge.
In terms of prevention, establishing possible causes and outcomes of low psychological well-being is especially important for child and adolescent populations. “Half of mental health problems develop by adolescence,” Twenge and Campbell wrote in their paper.
8. What do we know about Twenge and Campbell’s study according to paragraph 2?
A.It requires further research. |
B.It brings children less comfort. |
C.It needs greater ability to finish. |
D.It generates more public concern. |
9. What is a reason for the different degrees of impact on children?
A.The effects of the harmful contents. |
B.Teens’ stronger addiction to screens. |
C.The portability of electronic devices. |
D.Teens’ negative emotions at discipline. |
10. Which of the following do the researchers want AAP to do?
A.Provide high-quality programs. |
B.Issue minimum screen time limits. |
C.Apply the limits to older children. |
D.Present further evidence for prevention. |
11. What does this study focus on?
A.Adolescents’ mental problems. |
B.The bad habits of the young adults. |
C.Low level of mental health in youth. |
D.The importance of the young population. |