Parents should not feel guilt over allowing children to have screen time, according to expert

Sophie Collins

The topic of screen time has been at the forefront of discussions on parenting websites and forums worldwide

While some experts caution that excessive screen time can hinder children’s development, others argue it may not be as harmful as feared.

This divide has led to increasing feelings of guilt among parents who allow their children to use screens.

This parental guilt is the focus of recent research conducted by Dr. Nathan Walter, an associate professor of media psychology at Northwestern University.

Recently published in the journal Media Psychology, Walter’s study examines the impact of screen time on parental stress and family relationships.

According to Walter’s data, parents who feel guilty about their children’s screen usage experience higher levels of stress and are less likely to report positive relationships with their kids.

Walter emphasises that while some studies suggest negative impacts of screen time, they often show correlation rather than causation.

“Associations don’t allow researchers to make causal inferences,” Walter told CNN.

“More important, the perfect study does not exist. If you want to cherry-pick evidence, the literature is so broad that you’ll be able to find anything that you want. This is why the greatest value that we have in terms of evidence comes from what we call meta-analyses.”

Walter referenced a recent meta-analysis that examined 18 cohort studies with nearly 250,000 participants to explore the link between screen time and depression, a major concern among parents.

“They found no meaningful relationship there,” Walter said. “Certain subgroups, certain ages, certain screens—there was connection some of the time, but not all the time, and not across the board.”

Another meta-analysis reviewed the relationship between screen time and executive functioning skills in 7,000 children.

“There was absolutely no relationship between these cognitive problems and screen use,” Walter noted. Furthermore, a third meta-analysis involving 100,000 participants found no significant link between screen time and academic performance.

“Every time we looked into it, there was association but not causation,” he added.

Walter elaborated on the complexity of the issue: “If you isolate video games among certain ages, that is negatively associated with academic performance, but these are not the little kids that we think about when we’re thinking about screen use. So that tells us that it’s a little bit more complicated.”

He also pointed out that the negative effects of screen time often stem from what it displaces.

“There’s nothing inherently negative about screen time or screen use, but just like any other media, it displaces other activities. When you’re at home with your screen, you’re not outside making social relationships with kids. When you’re at home with your screen, you’re not in the playground playing,” Walter said.

He emphasised the importance of understanding the trade-offs involved: “This is more about the replacement—the trade-offs between screen use and other activities that generate many of the negative effects we see—as opposed to something more inherent.

“If this is the case and we need to understand this in a broader context of trade-offs, why not consider also emotional trade-offs? This is basically our research. Let’s look at the emotional trade-offs that happen because of how stigmatised screen use has become in our society.”

Dr. Walter’s study highlights the need for a balanced perspective on time, acknowledging that while it may displace other valuable activities, the emotional toll of guilt and stress on parents is also significant.

As the debate continues, it’s crucial to consider both the potential benefits and drawbacks of screen use, striving for a healthy balance that supports both children’s development and family well-being.