Reducing children's screen time more easily near green spaces
Children spending too much time in front of screens is a problem in many places. Now a reason was discovered why the reduction works better in some cases.
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The success rate of programs to reduce children's screen time depends on how much green space they have around their homes. This was discovered by a research group in the USA who wanted to find out why previous studies have found different success rates depending on children's ethnic backgrounds. Inequitable differences in access to green spaces could therefore explain why measures to reduce screen time vary in effectiveness depending on ethnic group, summarizes study leader Ian-Marshall Lang. If inequalities in screen time are to be tackled, this finding must be considered.
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As the University of Michigan summarizes, around two thirds of children and young people in the USA spend more than the recommended two hours a day on screens. Programs to reduce this are aimed at parents, for example, by providing information or enabling children to engage in physical activities. The new study suggests that simply ramping up such programs when children live in areas that do not support behavioral change at all may not be effective at all. Instead, it could be used to provide evidence-based support for programs that aim, for example, to get everyone in a US city to walk no more than 10 minutes to a high-quality park.
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Long screen time for children and young people is not just a big issue in the USA. In this country too, the majority of parents have a guilty conscience about this. Too much time in front of a screen can deprive children of valuable moments for language development, for example. Researchers have already discovered that parents can reduce their children's screen time with just a few rules. However, the study by Lang and his team, published in the journal Health and Place, now suggests that they also need support from society. More and more easily accessible green spaces would not only be beneficial for children.
(mho)
