Should we still be concerned about screen time use for Canada’s young children? Understanding the research landscape of screen time after the COVID-19 pandemic.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18192/uojm.v15i2.7424Keywords:
Screen time, COVID-19, Mental health, Early childhood, DevelopmentAbstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, screen time rates well surpassed the recommended guidelines for Canada’s young children despite the evidence for prolonged screen time’s effect on a child’s health being well established. It is unknown if these rates have decreased in our post-pandemic world, underscoring the urgent need for understanding screen time patterns to inform future guidelines and policy for young children. This commentary aims to urge researchers to address the knowledge gap of screen time in the post-pandemic era and outlines recommendations for health care providers to evaluate children’s screen time in their practice.
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Pendant la pandémie de la COVID-19, le temps passé par les jeunes enfants devant les écrans a largement dépassé les recommandations au Canada, malgré les preuves bien établies qu’un temps d’écran prolongé a un effet négatif sur leur santé. On ne sait pas si le niveau d’exposition a diminué après la pandémie, ce qui souligne l’urgence de comprendre les habitudes d’utilisation des jeunes enfants des écrans afin d’informer les futures lignes directrices et politiques les concernant. Ce commentaire vise à répondre à la nécessité de recherches supplémentaires sur l’utilisation des écrans par les jeunes enfants dans l’ère post-COVID, après une augmentation documentée de l’utilisation des écrans pendant la pandémie.
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