Screen-addicted teenagers putting health at risk

AUSSIE teens are getting nowhere near enough exercise as they refuse to get off their phones and get moving, and new research shows most kids are glued to screens for excessive periods of time.

AUSSIE teens are getting nowhere near enough exercise as they refuse to get off their phones and get moving.

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New research shows more than 90 per cent of girls and almost three quarters of boys aged 12-17 are active for less than an hour a day.

An overwhelming number of these kids are glued to screens for excessive periods of time.

The findings published in journal Preventive Medicine reveal up to 85 per cent of children get more than the recommended two hours of screen time per day.

And the technology addiction is worse in boys. Almost 60 per cent of them spend more than four hours a day staring at a screen, compared to just under half of girls.

VicHealth chief executive Jerril Rechter.

Children are recommended to take part in at least an hour of daily physical activity. Health experts have warned that those who do not get enough exercise expose themselves to significant health risks.

VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter warned today’s kids could be the first generation with a lower life expectancy than their parents.

“There’s no denying screens are a part of our kids’ lives but we also want them to develop healthy exercise habits early in life,” she said.

Deakin University Associate Professor of physical activity and health Kylie Hesketh said lowered rates of physical activity were linked to a higher incidence of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“It can also impact kids’ social health and mental wellbeing, cognitive and academic function,” she said.

Children who spend their time fixated on smart phones, tablets and televisions are also at increased risk of cyber bullying and social isolation, said Prof Hesketh.

Isabella and Maddie, 13, get active. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

Almost 3000 Australian kids took part in the study between 2009-2010 and 2012-2013.

Many children who did not meet the daily physical activity requirement admitted it was because they preferred playing electronic games and watching television.

Other top reasons were that they didn’t like sport or believed they were not good at it.

The research found efforts to boost physical activity in kids were failing. The lack of activity, combined with poor eating habits, were contributing to high rates of childhood obesity.

Prof Hesketh said parents needed to do more to encourage active lifestyles.

“Not all kids are going to be sporty, so parents should focus on increasing physical activity in their children’s everyday life,” she said.

“They could encourage their kids to walk or ride a bike to school or to their friends’ houses, and families could make more active options with their free time such as going to the park to kick a ball rather than watching a movie.”

Isabella, 13, from Balwyn, said she enjoyed being on her phone and playing video games. “It’s OK for kids to be on their phones — but it’s also important to go outside and play,” she said.

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@AneekaSimonis