Children May Be Happier with Less Screen Time
A new study has found that children may feel happier if they spend more time doing after-school activities away from a screen. Researchers at the University of South Australia and the South Australia Department for Education looked at how children's after-school activities were affected by their socioeconomic status, and how the well-being of lower-status children was affected by the activities they did.
Nearly 62,000 students aged 9 to 15 were asked how many days a week they did certain activities between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Students also reported on their social and emotional well-being, indicating things like whether they felt happy or sad, and how satisfied they felt with their lives. The data showed that children of lower socioeconomic status who did more after-school activities away from a screen had higher levels of well-being than those who spent more time on TV, social media or video games.
Attending an after-school care program — often offered for parents who need someone to watch their children before they get home from work — was also associated with lower well-being. The activities most associated with higher well-being included sports, homework, reading and socializing with friends, showing that it wasn't just physical activity that improved how students felt. The most frequent after-school activity was watching TV. The researchers found that children of lower socioeconomic status spent more time on TV, video games and social media than those of higher socioeconomic status. Higher-status kids spent more time on sports, reading, homework and playing instruments.
However, children of lower socioeconomic status also spent more time playing with friends. Lead researcher Dr. Rosa Virgara says the results show a need to encourage children to spend more time doing activities that don't involve screen time.
Source: An Article by Kezia Smith (DMM Daily News)
<Questions>
1. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'screen time'?
2. How did you usually spend your time after school growing up?
3. Did you get much screen time as a kid?
4. If you were a kid, how much screen time per day would you have?
5. What were your favorite TV shows growing up?
6. What sports or hobbies did your parents encourage you to take up?
7. Please talk freely about this topic.
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