Social media makes children more impulsive, study suggests
SOCIAL media can make children more likely to have eating disorders or try drugs because it makes them more impulsive, a study suggests.
Too much social media – which includes Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Youtube, Instagram and Snapchat – makes them more impulsive, often leading to bad decisions that will affect the rest of their lives, warn scientists.
Children spending a significant amount of time looking at screens, and not getting enough sleep, are most vulnerable, the study found.
Dr Michelle Guerrero, a paediatrician at the University of Ottawa and lead author of the study, said: “Impulsive behaviour is associated with numerous mental health and addiction problems, including eating disorders, behavioural addictions and substance abuse.”
Her team analysed more than 4,500 eight to 11-year-olds. Those who used smartphones more than two hours a day and slept less than nine hours a night were more impulsive.
The results were based on the participants’ self-reported scores on eight traits such as perseverance, seeking out thrills, setting goals, being sensitive and acting rashly.
Dr Guerrero said the findings reinforced the importance of the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth. These advise five to 17-year-olds get at least 60 minutes a day moderate to vigorous exercise, a maximum two hours of recreational screen time and have nine to 11 hours’ uninterrupted sleep every night.
Meeting all three pillars of the recommendations was associated with more favourable outcomes.
Dr Guerrero said: “Impulsive behaviour is associated with numerous mental health and addiction problems, including eating disorders, behavioural addictions and substance abuse.
“This study shows the importance of especially paying attention to sleep and recreational screen time.”
In one of the first studies of its kind her team looked specifically at the link between screen time and behaviour in adolescents. It is the first set of data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, which plans to follow the participants for 10 years.