Bharti Jayshankar
January 11, 2024: Excessive screen time of children is a growing concern as many studies have correlated cognitive and language skills decline to overuse of smart gadgets. An effective way to deal with this obsession is to make children spend some hours in play outside.
Research underlines the importance of green space access as an alternative to spending time on screens, be it watching television, playing video games, or computer use.
“Neighborhood green spaces may draw children out of the house and give them an alternative space to engage in activities other than screen time,” according to Ian-Marshall Lang, lead study author and researcher at the University of Michigan’s (U-M) School of Kinesiology.
The suggestion seems logical, but the researchers found that access to green spaces is not a given for all. Ethnicity and race are a big factor in green area access. Their study was undertaken as an effort to take forward findings on how race and ethnicity play a part in the effectiveness of community programming.
Easy access to vast green spaces was seen to reduce the dependence on screens. But the opposite was observed in the absence of such spaces. Community programs and children-focused activities were unsuccessful in neighbourhoods where children had less access to green spaces.
“This raises the question of who has access to high green space. Both our study and national data show green space is less common in communities with higher Hispanic and Black populations,” Lang stated.
Adverse effects of screen time
Too much time online increases the risk of childhood obesity, cognitive impairment, lack of social skills, language and problem-solving skill deficiency, and more. Sedentary habits established early in life can persist into late childhood and adulthood, research shows.
A study indicated that each additional hour of TV exposure at age two was associated with significant declines in classroom engagement and math proficiency by fourth grade. Furthermore, another study found that children spending more than two hours a day on screens scored lower on language and thinking tests, with some experiencing thinning of the brain’s cortex, which is crucial for reasoning
A study from Estonia revealed that children with high screen exposure struggled with grammar and vocabulary compared to those with minimal exposure.
Unfair access
Research recommends a screen time of a maximum of two hours for young adults and children. About two-thirds of 6–17-year-olds exceed the recommended daily limit of 2 hours, authors noted.
The UM study found that there are significant racial and ethnic differences in who exceeds this limit, with African American/Black and Hispanic/Latino children the most likely to exceed time limits.
“These unfair differences in green space access might explain why community programs and policies are less effective in reducing screen time among different racial groups. To address screen time inequities, we need solutions that create fair, just and healthy environments for all communities,” to Lang explained.
The U-M study found that community programs are not a solution. Easy access to green spaces and outdoors is the answer.
Research shows that in the U.S., greenspace inequities are rooted in decades of systemic racism.
“Simply increasing the intensity of screen-time reduction programs may not be effective in environments that do not support behavior change,” Lang explained.
Outdoor learning and play
School activities that are more geared towards nature learning and outdoor time in the initial years rather than classroom-focused activities have been successful in weaning children away from excessive screen time.
In Nordic countries, smart Friluftsliv, meaning “free air life,” is a cultural cornerstone, emphasizing the importance of outdoor experiences for personal and social development. This concept encourages families to spend time outdoors regardless of the weather, fostering a deep connection with nature from an early age.
Many Scandinavian schools incorporate outdoor learning into their curriculum. In some schools, about half of the school day is spent outside, where children engage in activities like den-building and exploring forest gardens. This approach not only enhances physical health but also supports cognitive development through experiential learning.
The present U-M research has shown that there is a dire need to rethink how education is imparted with such easy access to screens and the convenience of allowing the smart screens to act as nannies for parents equally busy with their gadgets.
“This work is particularly important for organizations that have the responsibility and power to make equitable investments in green spaces to support the health of children,” Lang concluded. “Our findings provide evidence-based support for initiatives like the 10-Minute Walk Program that calls on city mayors to address inequities in green space access by ensuring that everyone in U.S. cities has access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of their home.”
