The psychological impact of screen time and green time on children and adolescents: An overview of current research
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/2687-0223-2024-6-1-33-39Keywords:
screen time, green time, preschoolers, primary school children, adolescents, neuropsychological systemsAbstract
The paper describes modern views on the new concepts of ‘green time’ and ‘screen time’, used in both foreign and Russian studies. Green time is defined as the time spent in the natural environment and includes: involuntary exposure to green spaces and/or natural elements; exposure to green residential buildings; availability of green spaces and public parks; intended use of green spaces, public parks, private gardens or green infrastructure; nature-related activities such as traveling through natural landscapes, gardening, surfing or playing outdoors; educational environment outside the classroom and forest schools and kindergartens. In contrast, screen time is defined as the time spent using screen technologies such as televisions, computers/laptops, video games, smartphones, tablets/iPads, and handheld electronic or gaming devices. The article summarizes the results of foreign studies on the psychological impact of screen time and green time on children and adolescents. An increase of the amount of time that young people spend using screen technologies (screen time) reduces young people’s opportunities to connect with nature (green time). The combination of much screen time and little green time can impact mental health and psychological well-being. This literature review describes the results of studies that examined the amount of screen time and green time and the corresponding psychological outcomes (including mental health, cognitive function and academic performance) in several age groups of children and adolescents — 0–5, 5–11, 12–14 and 15–18 years old without assessing the quality of the evidence. Four databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, Embase) were used to select 186 original quantitative studies eligible for this review. One third of the selected studies were conducted in Europe and almost as many, in the United States. There is preliminary evidence that green time may mitigate the effects of prolonged screen time. The corollary is that nature might be an underutilized public health resource for the youth’s psychological well-being in the technology era.
References
Aguilar, M. M., Vergara, F. A., Velásquez, E. J. A. et al. (2015) Screen time impairs the relationship between physical fitness and academic attainment in children. Jornal de Pediatria, vol. 91, no. 4, pp. 339–345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2014.10.004 (In English)
Babic, M. J., Smith, J. J., Morgan, P. J. et al. (2017) Longitudinal associations between changes in screen-time and mental health outcomes in adolescents. Mental Health and Physical Activity, vol. 12, pp. 124–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2017.04.001 (In English)
Brunetti, V. C., O’Loughlin, E. K., O’Loughlin, J. et al. (2016) Screen and nonscreen sedentary behavior and sleep in adolescents. Sleep Health, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 335–340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2016.09.004 (In English)
Busch, V., Loyen, A., Lodder, M. et al. (2014) The effects of adolescent health-related behavior on academic performance: A systematic review of the longitudinal evidence. Review of Educational Research, vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 245–274. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654313518441 (In English)
Chassiakos, C. Y., Radesky, J. S., Christakis, D. et al. (2016) Council on communications and media. Children and Adolescents and Digital Media. Pediatrics, vol. 138, no. 5, article e20162593. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2593 (In English)
Chauhan, S. (2017) A meta-analysis of the impact of technology on learning effectiveness of elementary students. Computers & Education, vol. 105, pp. 14–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.11.005 (In English)
Corder, K., Atkin, A. J., Bamber, D. J. et al. (2015) Revising on the run or studying on the sofa: Prospective associations between physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and exam results in British adolescents. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 12, article 106. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-015-0269-2 (In English)
Corder, K., Sharp, S. J., Atkin, A. J. et al. (2016) Age-related patterns of vigorous-intensity physical activity in youth: The international children’s accelerometry database. Preventive Medicine Reports, vol. 4, pp. 17–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.05.006 (In English)
Dettweiler, U., Becker, C., Auestad, B. H. et al. (2017) Stress in school. Some empirical hints on the circadian cortisol rhythm of children in outdoor and indoor classes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 14, no. 5, article 475. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14050475 (In English)
Domingues-Montanari, S. (2017) Clinical and psychological effects of excessive screen time on children. Journal of Paediatry and Child Health, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 333–338. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.13462 (In English)
Duch, H., Fisher, E. M., Ensari, I. et al. (2013) Association of screen time use and language development in Hispanic toddlers: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Clinical Pediatrics, vol. 52, no. 9. pp. 857–865. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922813492881 (In English)
Dzhambov, A., Hartig, T., Markevych, I. et al. (2018) Urban residential greenspace and mental health in youth: Different approaches to testing multiple pathways yield different conclusions. Environmental Research, vol. 160, pp. 47–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2017.09.015 (In English)
Feda, D. M., Seelbinder, A., Baek, S. et al. (2015) Neighbourhood parks and reduction in stress among adolescents: Results from Buffalo, New York. Indoor and Built Environment, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 631–639. https://doi.org/10.1177/1420326X14535791 (In English)
Feng, X., Astell-Burt, T. (2017) Residential green space quantity and quality and child well-being: A longitudinal study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 53, no. 5, pp. 616–624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.06.035 (In English)
Firth, J., Torous, J., Stubbs, B. et al. (2019) The “online brain”: How the Internet may be changing our cognition. World Psychiatry, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 119–129. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20617 (In English)
Galvan, A. (2010) Adolescent development of the reward system. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 4, article 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/neuro.09.006.2010 (In English)
García-Hermoso, A., Marina, R. (2017) Relationship of weight status, physical activity and screen time with academic achievement in adolescents. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 44–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2015.07.006 (In English)
Giedd, J. N. (2012) The digital revolution and adolescent brain evolution. Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 101–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.06.002 (In English)
Hale, L., Guan, S. (2015) Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: A systematic literature review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, vol. 21, pp. 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2014.07.007 (In English)
Hartig, T., Mitchell, R., de Vries, S., Frumkin, H. (2014) Nature and health. Annual Review in Public Health, vol. 35, pp. 207–228. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032013-182443 (In English)
Kaplan, S. (1995) The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 169–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2 (In English)
Kremer, P., Elshaug, C., Leslie, E. et al. (2014) Physical activity, leisure-time screen use and depression among children and young adolescents. Journal of the Science and Medical Sport, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 183–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2013.03.012 (In English)
Lacy, K. E., Allender, S. E., Kremer, P. J. et al. (2012) Screen time and physical activity behaviours are associated with health-related quality of life in Australian adolescents. Quality of Life Research, vol. 21, no. 6, pp. 1085–1099. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-011-0014-5 (In English)
Lamblin, M., Murawski, C., Whittle, S., Fornito, A. (2017) Social connectedness, mental health and the adolescent brain. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 80, pp. 57–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.010 (In English)
LeBourgeois, M. K., Hale, L., Chang, A.-M. et al. (2017) Digital media and sleep in childhood and adolescence. Pediatrics, vol. 140, suppl. 2, pp. S92–S96. https://doi.org/10.1542%2Fpeds.2016-1758J (In English)
Lenhart, A. (2015) Teens, social media & technology overview 2015. Pew Research Center. [Online]. Available at: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/ (accessed 05.01.2024). (In English)
Li, D., Sullivan, W. C. (2016) Impact of views to school landscapes on recovery from stress and mental fatigue. Landscape and Urban Planning, vol. 148, no. 4, pp. 149–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.12.015 (In English)
Maras, D., Flament, M. F., Murray, M. et al. (2015) Screen time is associated with depression and anxiety in Canadian youth. Preventive Medicine, vol. 73, pp. 133–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.01.029 (In English)
Mendelsohn, A. L., Brockmeyer, C. A., Dreyer, B. P. et al. (2010) Do verbal interactions with infants during electronic media exposure mitigate adverse impacts on their language development as toddlers? Infant and Child Development, vol. 19, no. 6, pp. 577–593. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.711 (In English)
Mundy, L. K., Canterford, L., Olds, T. et al. (2017) The association between electronic media and emotional and behavioral problems in late childhood. Academic Pediatrics, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 620–624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.12.014 (In English)
Nathanson, A. I., Beyens, I. (2018) The role of sleep in the relation between young children’s mobile media use and effortful control. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12196(In English)
Oswald, T. K., Rumbold, A. R., Kedzior, S. G. E., Moore, V. M. (2020) Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review. PLoS One, vol. 15, no. 9, article e0237725. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237725 (In English)
Padmanabhan, A., Geier, C. F., Ordaz, S. J. et al. (2011) Developmental changes in brain function underlying the influence of reward processing on inhibitory control. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 517–529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2011.06.004 (In English)
Przybylski, A. K., Weinstein, N. (2017) A large-scale test of the goldilocks hypothesis: Quantifying the relations between digital-screen use and the mental well-being of adolescents. Psychological Science, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 204–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797616678438 (In English)
Sandercock, G. R. H., Ogunleye, A., Voss, C. (2012) Screen time and physical activity in youth: Thief of time or lifestyle choice? Journal of Physical Activity and Health, vol. 9, no. 7, pp. 977–984. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.9.7.977 (In English)
Suchert, V., Hanewinkel, R., Isensee, B., Group, I. S. (2015) Sedentary behavior, depressed affect, and indicators of mental well-being in adolescence: Does the screen only matter for girls? Journal of Adolescence, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.03.014 (In English)
Syväoja, H. J., Kantomaa, M. T., Ahonen, T. et al. (2013) Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and academic performance in Finnish children. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 45, no. 11, pp. 2098–2104. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e318296d7b8 (In English)
Tomopoulos, S., Dreyer, B. P., Berkule, S. et al. (2010) Infant media exposure and toddler development. Archive of Pediatrics and Adolescene Medicine, vol. 164, no. 12, pp. 1105–1111. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.235 (In English)
Tremblay, M. S., LeBlanc, A. G., Kho, M. E. et al. (2011) Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. International Journal of Behavioral, Nutrition and Physical Activity, vol. 8, article 98. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-8-98 (In English)
Twenge, J. M., Spitzberg, B. H., Campbell, W. K. (2019) Less in-person social interaction with peers among U.S. adolescents in the 21st century and links to loneliness. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 1892–1913. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0265407519836170 (In English)
Uhls, Y. T., Ellison, N. B., Subrahmanyam, K. (2017) Benefits and costs of social media in adolescence. Pediatrics, vol. 140, suppl. 2, pp. S67–S70. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1758e (In English)
Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D. et al. (1991) Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 201–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(05)80184-7 (In English)
Wahlstrom, D., Collins, P., White, T., Luciana, M. (2010a) Developmental changes in dopamine neurotransmission in adolescence: Behavioral implications and issues in assessment. Brain and Cognition, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 146–159 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2009.10.013 (In English)
Wahlstrom, D., White, T., Luciana, M. (2010b) Neurobehavioral evidence for changes in dopamine system activity during adolescence. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 631–648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.12.007 (In English)
Ward, J. S., Duncan, J. S., Jarden, A., Stewart, T. (2016) The impact of children’s exposure to greenspace on physical activity, cognitive development, emotional wellbeing, and ability to appraise risk. Health & Place, vol. 40, pp. 44–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.04.015 (In English)
Wright, K. P. Jr., McHill, A. W., Birks, B. R. et al. (2013) Entrainment of the human circadian clock to the natural light-dark cycle. Current Biology, vol. 23, no. 16, pp. 1554–1558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.06.039 (In English)
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Elvira B. Dunaevskaya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The work is provided under the terms of the Public Offer and of Creative Commons public license Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). This license allows an unlimited number of persons to reproduce and share the Licensed Material in all media and formats. Any use of the Licensed Material shall contain an identification of its Creator(s) and must be for non-commercial purposes only.
