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Editorial: Parents must screen kids’ screen time

A REPORT in The Advertiser today on new research into digital technology shows boys who spend two hours a day watching TV and playing video games are more than two and a half times more likely to have behavioural and emotional problems.

<span id="U621411175623Lf" style="letter-spacing:0.014em;">Watching TV for an average of two hours a day made a boy 1.7-times more likely to have hyperactivity and attention problems.</span>
Watching TV for an average of two hours a day made a boy 1.7-times more likely to have hyperactivity and attention problems.

A REPORT in The Advertiser today on new research into digital technology shows boys who spend two hours a day watching TV and playing video games are more than two and a half times more likely to have behavioural and emotional problems.

Spending a total of 14 hours a week in front of the TV will also greatly increase a boy’s risk of hyperactivity and inattention issues.

This might not be a surprise to parents who have already wondered about the impact of technology on the lives of their children.

But, while the research published in the journal Academic Pediatric shows clear links were found between the amount of time spent using electronic media and behavioural issues among boys aged 8-9, lead researcher Dr Lisa Mundy said girls did not suffer the same negative effects.

However, the results were more nuanced than that.

The Murdoch team found that every additional hour of video-game playing increased a boy’s chance of emotional problems – that is, conditions such as anxiety and depression, as well as behavioural problems. Watching TV for an average of two hours a day made a boy 1.7-times more likely to have hyperactivity and attention problems.

Meanwhile, girls typically played social sharing games with friends rather than those games which featured violent content.

Researchers hope to discover whether the different types of screen time are increasing children’s susceptibility to problems or whether social and parenting issues are driving children with pre-existing problems towards these types of media.

It is important to monitor how much time children spend playing video games.

While it can be a tempting distraction to place a child in front of a screen for a few minutes’ peace, we must remember the importance of their first few years of life.

Children need all the attention we can give them during this crucial learning period, when they are assimilating the building blocks of life. They might also need to spend a few more daylight hours outside . . . doing what kids did before they became glued to their screens.

 

The move by Adelaide City Council to stop al fresco dining on King William St is the kind of backward thinking that doesn’t benefit the food industry nor encourage tourists to the state. Picture: TAIT SCHMAAL
The move by Adelaide City Council to stop al fresco dining on King William St is the kind of backward thinking that doesn’t benefit the food industry nor encourage tourists to the state. Picture: TAIT SCHMAAL

Food, glorious food

 

SOUTH Australia has long had the ingredients for a booming food tourism industry. We have incredible produce that is championed by chefs across the country.

We have the wine regions, just an easy drive from the city centre. And we have a population of food-minded individuals – demonstrated by a raft of reality TV cooking show winners and celebrated restaurateurs.

Local businesses are capitalising on all this, creating food experiences for locals and tourists alike – and it’s benefiting the tourism industry as a whole. Food is one of the biggest and fastest growing areas of our economy, as confirmed by government figures and reinforced by the Sunday Mail’s major public survey, Your State, Your Say in 2016.

So we need to be continually fostering the sector, with support from all tiers of government. The move by Adelaide City Council to stop al fresco dining on King William St is the kind of backward thinking that doesn’t benefit the food industry nor encourage tourists to the state. But our regional cooking schools, eating tours and educational tastings are just the kinds of things that make SA delicious for all .

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/editorial-parents-must-screen-kids-screen-time/news-story/865ad1e547ce3d3f456c06490dd34786