Key messages:
- Few Canadian youth meet screen time guidelines.
- Youth who followed screen time guidelines were more likely to meet physical activity recommendations and were significantly more likely to report better well-being (e.g., mental health, life satisfaction, stress levels).
- Youth who exceeded screen time guidelines were more likely to report poorer well-being outcomes.
- Following physical activity guidelines partially offset some of the associations between excess screen time and well-being.
Introduction
As technology becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life, concerns about the effects of excessive screen time, especially on children and youth, are growing. Many countries and several Canadian provinces have banned or limited the use of phones in classrooms because of concerns about their impact on youth well-being. Public pressure has prompted some platforms to enforce age restrictions and implement additional protections.
The Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) guidelines recommend no screen time for children under the age of 2 and one hour or less per day for those aged 2 to 5. For children over the age of 5, the CPS notes that setting specific time limits becomes more challenging, given that technology is deeply embedded in society and plays a role in education, socialization, and entertainment, particularly for older youth. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology recommends no more than two hours of recreational screen time per day for those aged 5 to 17, and no more than three hours per day for those aged 18 and older.
While screen time is rising among Canadian youth, the consequences of this increase are not fully understood. Research has associated excessive screen time with declines in prosocial behaviour, socioemotional difficulties, disrupted sleep, anxiety, and depression. However, there is an ongoing debate about what qualifies as excessive screen time.
Objectives
This study explored the relationship between screen time and healthy behaviours as well as associations between screen time and various well-being outcomes in youth. Screen time was defined as the use of any electronic device, including mobile phones, computers, tablets, video game consoles, or televisions, while sitting or lying down. The study also investigated whether physical activity could help counteract any negative associations between not following screen time guidelines and well-being.
Results
Over one in three (37%) Canadian youth exceeded screen time recommendations in 2019 and 2023, compared with over one in ten (14%) who followed screen time guidelines in both years, and nearly half (49%) followed screen time guidelines in one of the two years.
Youth who met screen time recommendations in both 2019 and 2023 were nearly twice as likely to meet physical activity guidelines in 2023 as those who exceeded screen time guidelines in both years.
Nearly six in ten youth (58%) who met screen time guidelines in both 2019 and 2023 reported excellent or very good mental health, compared with 38% of youth who exceeded guidelines in both years.
Youth who followed screen time guidelines were significantly more likely to report better well-being across various outcomes (e.g., mental health, life satisfaction, stress levels) than those who exceeded guidelines. Those who met screen time recommendations in both years were also less likely to report suicidal ideation than those who exceeded guidelines. Average grades were also higher among youth who met screen time recommendations in both 2019 and 2023.
Meeting both the physical activity and screen time guidelines was associated with better well-being compared to meeting neither guideline. A possible explanation for differences in well-being may be related to overall physical activity, rather than screen time, as increased physical activity may influence some well-being indicators associated with screen time.
Conclusion
Screen use is widespread among Canadians, especially youth. In both 2019 and 2023, youth aged 12 to 17 were more likely to exceed the recommended two hours of daily screen time (37%) than to meet it (14%). Those who met screen time guidelines in both years were more likely to report better well-being in 2023, including mental and overall health, suicidality, and academic performance. Following physical activity guidelines partially offset some of the associations between excess screen time and well-being.
Although exceeding screen time guidelines was associated with poorer well-being, the quality of screen use, whether for school, work, entertainment, or socializing, may matter as well. However, national data do not capture this. Further research is needed on the relationship between the amount and quality of screen use and well-being to help inform parents, educators, researchers, decision-makers, and youth.
Click here to read the study and here to view the infographic.
