According to new research, older schoolchildren who study online are more likely to experience anxiety or depression.
The Covid-19 epidemic triggered researchers to examine the mental health of more than 2000 school-age Canadian children.
The study was conducted by experts from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. They examined the links between screen usage and mental health.
Researchers found an obvious link between anxiety in parents and depression in their older children. They were required to use screens for education.
“These findings suggest that both evidence-informed and policy-based social supports may be necessary to promote healthy screen use and mental well being in children and teens during this pandemic.” The team said.
A new study has shown that older students who learn online have a higher risk of anxiety and depression than those who attend school in the classroom. Image from stock
Researchers also discovered that younger children were more likely to watch TV and play video games during an outbreak of depression.
The experts found that there wasn’t an increased chance of developing these conditions in children who have Autism Spectrum Disorders.
This could possibly be because they are more screen-oriented and have less social interaction.
Researchers stated that the COVID-19 epidemic had influenced the routines of many children’s lives.
The team stated that this was due to the “primarily because of public health measures related distancing and isolation school closures.”
Children and teens spent more time watching television and video chat than ever before.
Researchers looked at a variety of cohort studies to determine the impact of this on young people’s mental health.
There were 2,026 children in the study, an average age of 6, and approximately equal numbers of male and female participants.
Their findings showed that kids aged between 2-4 years old had higher levels of behavior problems and hyperactivity when there was more digital media or TV time.
An increase in TV viewing and gaming is linked to depression, anxiety, and inattention among youth over the age of 11.
Due to isolation or school closings, this group experienced more anxiety and depression.
This ties in with pre-Covid research, that consistently showed high levels of screen use were linked to depression, anxiety, conduct disorders, and attention problems in children and youth, the team said.
A similar group of children found evidence linking social isolation to poor mental health.
They stated that in addition to increased screen time and social isolation, child mental health problems could also be caused by reduced sleep, physical activity, or other prosocial activities which were interrupted during the pandemic.
The Covid-19 epidemic prompted researchers to examine the mental health of more than 2000 school-age Canadian children. Image from the stock photo
“The pandemic could have a negative impact on children’s mental health by exposing them to bullying online, to stressful news and to harmful ads through screen usage.”
Zoom calls, which allowed children to communicate with each other, was thought by the team to have potential to boost their mental health.
The researchers hypothesised that Zoom calls could improve children’s mental health by connecting them with friends, but did not find that to be the case.
These results were published in JAMA Network Open.