4 or more hours of daily screen time linked to more anxiety and depression in teens, data shows

Question

CBS News states that four or more hours of screen time is linked to more anxiety and depression that resides in teens. CBS is moderately known to be a trust worthy network. Sara Moniuszko, the author of this article, shows that statistically one in four teens who reported four or more hours of screen time experienced 27% more anxiety symptoms and 25% depression systems in the span of two weeks. With more studies and statistics Monizusko could be onto something because similar studies of depression and anxiety show up in other news articles like New York Times, and CNN. This article was published recently on October 31, 2024 so this is not old news, nor old statistics meaning the rate could incline in a couple years as technology advances. The headline of this article lined up perfectly with the text and images provided.

Comments

I like your reasoning and your explanation by using a CBS news article, but I'd like to include a different perspective of the "screen time" story. For example. according to the National Institutes of Health, "A study of nearly 2,000 children found that those who reported playing video games for three hours per day or more performed better on cognitive skills tests involving impulse control and working memory compared to children who had never played video games." So, while screen time may be linked to more anxiety and depression, some forms of screen time have the potential to be beneficial to young children.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/video-gaming-may-be-associated-better-cognitive-performance-children

Answer 1

I believe this claim to be true. Not only is the article itself supported by findings from other professionals such as psychiatrist Dr. Neha Chaudhary and published works from the American Academy of Pediatrics, but other sources outside the article confirm the overarching findings of a correlation between screen time and increased mental health issues for teens. A study done in 2018 I found from the National Library of Medicine also finds similarly positive associations between higher screen time and lower psychological well-being for youth. I also found a more recent study from 2023 conducted by the Yale School of Medicine that prods at the connection between screen time an mental health for 10-12 year olds as well. All in all, I think CBS's claim of a correlation is true.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6214874/#:~:text=Highlights&text=More%20hours%20of%20screen%20time,in%20ages%202%20to%2017.&text=High%20users%20show%20less%20curiosity,%2Dcontrol%2C%20and%20emotional%20stability.

https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/yale-study-probes-connection-between-excessive-screen-media-activity-and-mental-health-problems-in-youth/

Comments

I think this was a good source to use. It is trustworthy and also states several dependable and truthful facts. Good job answering to this claim.