The Effect of Screentime on the Mental Health of Children

Introduction: Screentime is ubiquitous with children and parents concerned and anxious about its effect on the well-being of their children. This project uses the 2020 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) to determine if there is a correlation between the amount of weekday screentime in children ages 17 and younger and reported instances of mental health treatment and mental health treatment needed. Objectives: The primary objective of this project is to determine if there is a correlation between screentime and the mental health of children, ages 17 and younger. Methods: This project utilizes 2020 data from the NSCH, specifically the survey information collected about children ages 17 and younger on screentime, mental health professional treatment, and age of the child. Screentime refers to weekday time spent in front of a TV, computer, cellphone, or other electronic device watching programs, playing games, accessing the internet or using social media. After analyzing the three aforementioned variables, the percentage of mental health treatment occurrences by age group per screen time category indicates whether there is a correlation between children’s screentime and their mental health. Results: Preschool-aged (0-5 years old) children who spent 2 hours per weekday in front of a screen had the highest occurrence of mental health treatment, doubling the other categories of screentime. In school-aged (6-13 years old) children, there is a rise in mental health treatment needed as screentime increases. In adolescent (14-17 years old) children, there is a significant increase in the occurrence of mental health treatment as screentime increases, where 60% of adolescents who require mental health treatment spent four or more hours in front of a screen. Conclusions: There is a correlation between increased screentime and the occurrence of mental health treatment in children, particularly with the Adolescent (14-17 years old) age group.