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Screen Technology, Sleep and Health among Children and Young Adults

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Digital Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 41591

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Michael Osei Mireku

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Guest Editor

School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
Interests: public health; sleep; screen technology use; perinatal epidemiology; pediatric epidemiology; nutrient deficiencies; cognitive development; obesity; health inequalities

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Screen technology use, for browsing web content, social media interactions, watching videos or gaming, has increased astronomically over the past decades with parental and media concerns worrying about the negative impact such technology poses to mental health, sleep, brain development and function. Although some countries have already put in place health restrictions on screen time in children, existing quantitative and qualitative studies and systematic reviews suggest more qualified research is needed.

Existing evidence suggests that the rise in screen technology use is visible for all age groups including infants. Accumulating evidence from in-lab and epidemiological research is revealing complex relationship between screen technology use and health. More specifically, consistent findings suggest a direct relationship between duration, frequency and type of content of screen technology use and sleep. Large-scale correlation studies based on self/third report measures about children’s gaming habits, attention, speed of motor response and working memory do exist and reveal that video game use can have both potential benefits and risks.

The mechanisms underlying these relationships remain poorly understood, mainly due to the lack of longitudinal studies and training studies, the use of self-report data, restricted open access to data sets, replication crisis and in a majority of studies small sample sizes. Important contributions from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, sleep psychology, public health, and epidemiology are expanding our understanding of these mechanisms. Accordingly, the objective of this special issue is to broaden our understanding of the relationship between screen technology use, sleep and health outcomes and highlight the interdisciplinary nature of this research question.

Within this context, this special issue entitled Screen Technology, Sleep and Health among Children and Young Adults offers the opportunity to publish high-quality interdisciplinary empirical research, reviews and theoretical notes that further our understanding of the link between screen technology and child development and wellbeing. We welcome quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research with objective or subjective measures of screen use, sleep and wellbeing. Studies using generated data from machine learning/signal processing methods are also welcomed. Submissions that discuss new knowledge, developments, and innovations in the field of screen technology and health are particularly encouraged.

Dr. Michael Osei Mireku
Guest Editor

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Keywords

screen technology
smartphones
social media
video games
sleep
cognitive functions
wellbeing
children
adolescents
young adults

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 636 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prevalence and Determinants of Excessive Screen Viewing Time in Children Aged 3–15 Years and Its Effects on Physical Activity, Sleep, Eye Symptoms and Headache

by Shilpa Jain, Shreya Shrivastava, Aditya Mathur, Deepali Pathak and Ashish Pathak

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3449; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043449 - 16 Feb 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6268

Abstract

Screen viewing time is the total time spent by a child on any digital/electronic device. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of excessive screen viewing time in children in Ujjain, India. This cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted through a house-to-house survey using the three-stage cluster sampling method in 36 urban wards and 36 villages of Ujjain District, India. Excessive screen viewing time was defined as screen viewing for >2 h/day. The prevalence of excessive screen viewing time was 18%. Risk factors identified using the multivariate logistic regression model were age (OR: 1.63, p < 0.001); mobile phone use before bedtime (OR: 3.35, p = 0.004); parents’ perception about the child’s habituation to screen time (OR: 8.46, p < 0.001); television in the bedroom (OR: 35.91, p < 0.001); morning mobile screen viewing time (OR: 6.40, p < 0.001); not reading books other than textbooks (OR: 6.45, p < 0.001); and lack of outdoor play for >2 h (OR: 5.17, p < 0.001). The presence of eye pain was a protective factor for excessive screen viewing time (OR: 0.13, p = 0.012). This study identified multiple modifiable risk factors for excessive screen viewing time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screen Technology, Sleep and Health among Children and Young Adults)

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15 pages, 713 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Psychosocial Correlates of Recreational Screen Time among Adolescents

by Joanie Roussel-Ouellet, Dominique Beaulieu, Lydi-Anne Vézina-Im, Stéphane Turcotte, Valérie Labbé and Danielle Bouchard

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16719; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416719 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3780

Abstract

The study objective was to identify the psychosocial correlates of recreational screen time among adolescents. Data collection took place in four high schools from the Chaudière-Appalaches region (Quebec, Canada) from late April to mid-May 2021. A total of 258 French-speaking adolescents (69.8% between 15 and 16 years and 66.3% girls) answered an online questionnaire based on the Reasoned Action Approach. Recreational screen time was measured using the French version of a validated questionnaire. Adolescents reported a mean of 5 h and 52 min/day of recreational screen time. Recreational screen time was associated with being a boy (β = 0.33; p < 0.0001) and intention to limit recreational screen time to a maximum of 2 h/day (β = −0.15; p = 0.0001); this model explained 30% of the variance in behavior. Intention to limit recreational screen time to a maximum of 2 h/day in the next month was associated with attitude (β = 0.49; p < 0.0001), self-identity (β = 0.33; p < 0.0001), being a boy (β = −0.21; p = 0.0109), perceived behavioral control (β = 0.18; p = 0.0016), and injunctive norm (β = 0.17; p < 0.0001); this model explained 70% of the variance in intention. This study identified avenues to design public health interventions aimed at lowering recreational screen time among this population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screen Technology, Sleep and Health among Children and Young Adults)

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10 pages, 528 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Associations between Daytime Physical Activity, While-in-Bed Smartphone Use, Sleep Delay, and Sleep Quality: A 24-h Investigation among Chinese College Students

by Hongxing Chen, Guodong Zhang, Zhenhuan Wang, Siyuan Feng and Hansen Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9693; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159693 - 6 Aug 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6090

Abstract

Bedtime smartphone use is an emerging issue that threatens the sleep health of children and young adults. Physical activity can have numerous health benefits, including reducing problematic or addictive behavior. However, the role of daily physical activity in reducing bedtime smartphone use is understudied. Hence, we conducted a one-day cross-sectional on the weekend (21–22 May 2021) to investigate the associations between daytime physical activity, bedtime smartphone use, and sleep quality. A total of 828 college students were recruited in two colleges. Their daytime physical activity indices were captured, including self-reported physical activity duration, intensity, volume, and smartphone-monitored walking steps. The participants reported whether they used smartphone while lying in bed (before sleep) and whether they delayed sleep due to smartphone use. Their while-in-bed screen time (duration) and subsequent sleep quality were also measured with self-report and a numeric rating scale, respectively. The results suggested that daytime physical activity duration was associated with lower chances of while-in-bed smartphone use (OR = 0.907, p = 0.019) and smartphone-related sleep delay (OR = 0.932, p = 0.014). However, no significant association was found between physical activity indices and while-in-bed screen time or sleep quality. These findings may contribute to understanding the reciprocal relationship between physical activity and smartphone use and highlighting the potential of controlling problematic bedtime smartphone use through daily physical activity. Future research is warranted to examine the associations with extra objective measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screen Technology, Sleep and Health among Children and Young Adults)

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13 pages, 575 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Recreational Screen Time and Sleep Quality among Adolescents during the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada

by Lydi-Anne Vézina-Im, Dominique Beaulieu, Stéphane Turcotte, Joanie Roussel-Ouellet, Valérie Labbé and Danielle Bouchard

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9019; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159019 - 25 Jul 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6344

Abstract

The study objective was to verify whether recreational screen time was associated with sleep quality among adolescents during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Data collection took place in four high schools in the region of Chaudière-Appalaches (Quebec, Canada) from the end of April to mid-May 2021. Recreational screen time and sleep quality were measured using the French versions of validated questionnaires specifically designed for adolescents. A total of 258 adolescents (14–18 years; 66.3% girls) answered the online survey. Adolescent boys had a higher total mean recreational screen time (454.3 ± 197.5 vs. 300.5 ± 129.3 min/day, p < 0.0001) and a higher total mean sleep quality score (4.2 ± 0.9 vs. 3.9 ± 0.8, p = 0.0364) compared to girls. Recreational screen time (β = −0.0012, p = 0.0005) and frequency of concurrent screen use (sometimes: β = −0.3141, p = 0.0269; often: β = −0.4147, p = 0.0048; almost always or always: β = −0.6155, p = 0.0002) were negatively associated with sleep quality while being a boy (β = 0.4276, p = 0.0004) was positively associated with sleep quality and age (p = 0.6321) was not. This model explained 16% of the variance in adolescents’ sleep quality. Public health interventions during and after the COVID-19 pandemic should target recreational screen time, concurrent screen use and especially girls to possibly improve sleep quality and promote adolescents’ physical and mental health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screen Technology, Sleep and Health among Children and Young Adults)

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12 pages, 493 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Problematic Smartphone Use and Its Associations with Sexual Minority Stressors, Gender Nonconformity, and Mental Health Problems among Young Adult Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals in Taiwan

by Mei-Feng Huang, Yu-Ping Chang, Wei-Hsin Lu and Cheng-Fang Yen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5780; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095780 - 9 May 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2956

Abstract

Smartphones are a necessity for many people; however, problematic smartphone use (PSU) may negatively influence people’s mental health. Using multivariate linear regression analysis, the study examined the associations of sexual minority stressors [namely perceived sexual stigma from family members, sexual orientation microaggressions (SOMs), and internalized sexual stigma] and gender nonconformity with PSU severity as well as the associations of PSU with depression and anxiety in young adult lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. This cross-sectional survey study recruited 1000 young adult LGB individuals (500 men and 500 women). PSU severity was assessed using the Smartphone Addiction Inventory. The experiences of perceived sexual stigma from family members, SOMs, and internalized sexual stigma and the levels of gender nonconformity, depression, and anxiety were assessed. The results indicated that perceived sexual stigma from family members, SOMs, internalized sexual stigma in the dimensions of social discomfort and identity and gender nonconformity were significantly associated with PSU severity in LGB individuals. Moreover, PSU was significantly associated with depression and anxiety in LGB individuals. The findings highlight the significance of developing strategies for the prevention and early detection of PSU and sexual minority stress in LGB individuals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screen Technology, Sleep and Health among Children and Young Adults)

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14 pages, 561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gaming Behaviors and the Association with Sleep Duration, Social Jetlag, and Difficulties Falling Asleep among Norwegian Adolescents

by Regina Hamre, Otto Robert Frans Smith, Oddrun Samdal and Ellen Haug

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1765; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031765 - 4 Feb 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5068

Abstract

The relationship between gaming and sleep is mostly informed by studies of addictive gaming behavior, thus limiting our understanding of sleep in the context of nonproblematic engaged gaming. The present study investigated whether addicted, problem, and engaged gaming behavior was associated with sleep duration, social jetlag, and difficulties falling asleep. The sample consisted of 13- and 16-year-old Norwegian adolescents (n = 3228) participating in the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey in 2018. Participants were categorized into addicted, problem, engaged, and normal/non-gaming behavior groups according to which GAS-7 criteria they fulfilled. Robust generalized linear mixed models with a random intercept for class ID were used to examine the association between the sleep variables and gaming behavior. Addicted gaming behavior was unfavorably associated with all sleep parameters. The findings for engaged gaming and problem gaming behavior were somewhat mixed. Engaged gamers slept less on weekends, less on weekdays for those aged 16, and experienced greater social jetlag compared to the normal/non-gaming group. Problem gamers experienced greater social jetlag and had higher odds of experiencing difficulties falling asleep. Overall, the results suggest that all types of gaming behaviors might harm sleep health, but to a greater extent for the addicted gamers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screen Technology, Sleep and Health among Children and Young Adults)

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Review

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27 pages, 2815 KiB

Open AccessReview

Exploring the Emerging Domain of Research on Video Game Live Streaming in Web of Science: State of the Art, Changes and Trends

by Luis Javier Cabeza-Ramírez, Fernando J. Fuentes-García and Guzmán A. Muñoz-Fernandez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(6), 2917; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18062917 - 12 Mar 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 9674

Abstract

In recent years, interest in video game live streaming services has increased as a new communication instrument, social network, source of leisure, and entertainment platform for millions of users. The rise in this type of service has been accompanied by an increase in research on these platforms. As an emerging domain of research focused on this novel phenomenon takes shape, it is necessary to delve into its nature and antecedents. The main objective of this research is to provide a comprehensive reference that allows future analyses to be addressed with greater rigor and theoretical depth. In this work, we developed a meta-review of the literature supported by a bibliometric performance and network analysis (BPNA). We used the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) protocol to obtain a representative sample of 111 published documents since 2012 and indexed in the Web of Science. Additionally, we exposed the main research topics developed to date, which allowed us to detect future research challenges and trends. The findings revealed four specializations or subdomains: studies focused on the transmitter or streamer; the receiver or the audience; the channel or platform; and the transmission process. These four specializations add to the accumulated knowledge through the development of six core themes that emerge: motivations, behaviors, monetization of activities, quality of experience, use of social networks and media, and gender issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screen Technology, Sleep and Health among Children and Young Adults)

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