About The Study: This systematic review and meta-analysis of 46 studies including 29,000 children and adolescents indicates that, on average, screen time increased by 52%, or 84 min/day (1.4 hours/day), during the pandemic. Compared with a pre-pandemic baseline value of 2.7 hours/day, this increase corresponds to a daily average of 4.1 hours/day of screen time across all children and adolescents during the pandemic. Screen time increases were highest for individuals ages 12 to 18 and for handheld devices and personal computers. Practitioners and pandemic recovery initiatives should focus on fostering healthy device habits, including moderating use, monitoring content, prioritizing device-free time, and using screens for creativity or connection.
Authors: Sheri Madigan, Ph.D., of the University of Calgary, is the corresponding author.
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(doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4116)
