“It’s not healthy but it’s fun”: Children’s and Parents’ Perspectives on Screen Time’s Impact on Children’s Health
“It’s not healthy but it’s fun”: Children’s and Parents’ Perspectives on Screen Time’s Impact on Children’s Health
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Problem: Parents believe screen time can positively impact children’s health by bolstering learning and creativity, and providing beneficial peer and family social interactions. Yet, concerns remain regarding children's over-use and exposure to inappropriate content.
Parents manage health concerns about children’s screen time by: setting time limits and rules that prioritize beneficial content, and providing warnings to manage transitions.
Gap in Understanding: Children’s perceptions of the health impacts of their screen time, as well as how they navigate any concerns, could inform more authentic and effective clinical recommendations, digital media policy, and product design.
Research Questions:
What are children’s and parents’ perspectives on the relationship between screen time and children’s health?
How do children and parents navigate any health-related concerns about screen time?
Methods:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 children (age 7-12) and one of their parents/grandparents.
Each participant completed a survey with measures on screen time activities and conflict
Families were diverse with respect to race and income.
Findings:
Children and parents believe that…
even beneficial screen time needs limits to avoid physical discomfort
screen time can produce both positive and negative emotions
joint media engagement strengthens relationships, but fighting over it does not
Children shared several strategies for managing their health-related concerns, including:
Adhering to established screen time limits
Listening to their bodies
Engaging content that makes them happy
Using technology to build or sustain relationships
There are several implications of this research...
Key Insights for Product Design
Key Insights for Product Design
Existing product design can be perceived as developmentally inappropriate with manipulative design patterns that encourage overuse.
Children & parents want digital media design to change to become more health centered.
Key Insights for Pediatricians
Key Insights for Pediatricians
Encourage healthy strategies for managing the physical impacts and unintended emotional impacts of screen time.
Advocate for screen time limits and choosing beneficial activities.
Key Insights for Research
Key Insights for Research
Need to uncover...
how children’s strategies could be built upon through intervention
how children & parents want digital media design to change to become more health centered
This key insight motivated my final dissertation study - read more here.
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