{"id":19764,"date":"2025-03-10T20:25:58","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T20:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=19764"},"modified":"2025-03-10T20:25:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T20:25:59","slug":"limiting-screen-time-protects-kids-mental-health-finnish-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/limiting-screen-time-protects-kids-mental-health-finnish-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Limiting Screen Time Protects Kids&#8217; Mental Health, Finnish Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A study from Finland suggests that regulating screen time and encouraging physical activity from childhood could play a critical role in preventing stress and depressive symptoms in adolescents.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A recent Finnish study, conducted by the University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4\u2019s Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences and the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Eastern Finland, indicates that limiting screen time from childhood may be crucial for mental health in adolescence. Given that up to 30% of young people deal with mental health issues, these findings hold significant value for families and policymakers alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The longitudinal study tracked 187 adolescents over eight years, revealing that those who spent a higher number of hours on screens \u2014 especially via mobile devices \u2014 exhibited increased stress and depressive symptoms during their teenage years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, adolescents who engaged in higher levels of physical activity and took part in organized sports reported lower levels of stress and fewer depressive symptoms, although the relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms was not as strong as the link between screen time and mental health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSeveral international, evidence-based recommendations suggest that the leisure screen time of children and adolescents should be limited to two hours per day,\u201d Eero Haapala, a senior lecturer at the University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4, said in a news release. \u201cPersonally, I think that even this figure is high, as it amounts to almost one month of screen time per year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These insights emphasize the importance of promoting balanced lifestyle habits from an early age. Encouraging a mix of physical activities and setting reasonable constraints on screen time could be vital in preventing mental health issues later in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe modern sedentary lifestyle, with high screen exposure, challenges the mental health of children and adolescents,\u201d Haapala added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He hoped that the study&#8217;s results would spur adults to advocate for a range of healthy habits beyond just limiting screen time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRecent discussions have rightly focused on screen time and social media, but I hope our findings encourage adults in young people\u2019s lives to promote a broad spectrum of healthy habits \u2014 especially by balancing screen time and physical activity,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Achieving a shift in these habits, however, requires a collective effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSociety as a whole \u2014 from families to policymakers \u2014 must invest in promoting healthy lifestyles for children and adolescents by ensuring balanced screen time, sufficient physical activity, adequate sleep and a nutritious diet,\u201d concluded Haapala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This research, <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2830233\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in JAMA Network Open, is part of the larger PANIC (Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children) Study under the Metabolic Diseases Research Community at the University of Eastern Finland. This dedicated research collective is focused on investigating significant cardiometabolic diseases. Utilizing a mix of genetic, genomic and translational research approaches along with lifestyle interventions, the community aims to provide concrete evidence on disease mechanisms and foster early diagnosis, prevention and personalized treatment strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent Finnish study, conducted by the University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4\u2019s Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences and the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Eastern Finland, indicates that limiting screen time from childhood may be crucial for mental health in adolescence. Given that up to 30% of young people deal with mental health issues, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[121,120],"class_list":["post-19764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mental-health","tag-university-of-eastern-finland","tag-university-of-jyvaskyla"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A recent Finnish study, conducted by the University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4\u2019s Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences and the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Eastern Finland, indicates that limiting screen time from childhood may be crucial for mental health in adolescence. Given that up to 30% of young people deal with mental health issues,&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19764"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19778,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19764\/revisions\/19778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}