Excess Computer, TV Time Harm Kids Psychologically

Childrens who spent more than two hours a day in front of the TV or computer were at greater risk of having psychological problems than youngsters averaging less screen time, even if the kids also tended to be physically active, new research finds.
It is founf that  the risk of psychological difficulties increased by about 60 percent when kids between 10 and 11 years old spent more than two hours daily watching TV or playing on the computer.
Still, the experts stressed that the study can't discern whether media exposure causes psychological woes in kids, or whether troubled children simply prefer spending time in front of computers or the TV.
Previous studies have linked excessive TV viewing with childhood obesity, and both TV and computer use have been associated with psychological problems and an increase in sedentary time, according to background information in the study.
The researchers had all of the children complete a Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire, which is designed to measure psychological difficulties, such as hyperactivity, inattention, social problems and conduct issues.
Overall, most children reported spending between an hour or two a day on TV and computer use for entertainment. On average, boys were moderately to vigorously active for an average of 83 minutes per day, versus 63 minutes for girls, according to the study.
The study found that children who spent more than two hours a day watching television or using a computer were more likely to have reported psychological difficulties than children who spent less time in front an electronic screen. Kids who watched more than two hours of TV a day had a 61 percent increased risk of psychological difficulties, while those who spent more than two hours on a computer were 59 percent more likely to have psychological difficulties.

When children weren't very active throughout the day, the risk of psychological difficulties went up even more. The risk of psychological problems for sedentary children who watched more than two hours of TV was 70 percent, and for those who spent more than two hours on the computer, the odds were increased 81 percent.
Surprisingly, being highly physically active didn't offer much protection against psychological difficulties if children already clocked more than two hours of screen time each day. The risk of psychological difficulties was still increased by about 50 percent for the highly active group when they spent more than two hours watching TV or using the computer, according to the study.


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