Conventional wisdom says more screen time is bad for kids. But new research suggests that may not be the full story.
In the latest episode of “The Poynter Report Podcast,” Dr. Justin Martin, the chair of media ethics and press policy at the University of South Florida, joined host Tom Jones to unpack early findings from the Life in Media Survey — a long-term research project tracking the digital habits and well-being of children ages 11 to 13.
“Our most consistent finding in this survey was very counterintuitive,” Martin told Jones. “We found that kids who own their own smartphones fared better on just about every mental health and wellness measure we asked, compared to kids who don’t.”
Among the findings: Kids with smartphones reported higher self-esteem, were less likely to feel depressed and were more likely to spend time with friends in person. They were also less likely to be cyberbullied.
“The fact that we don’t find evidence that smartphone ownership is harmful to children … goes against what, honestly, what I thought going into the survey,” Martin said.
Even common concerns about physical activity didn’t hold up. “We found that heavy social media users are considerably more likely to exercise daily than lighter or nonusers of social media,” Martin said.
Still, the survey also found that some children welcome breaks from their phones. “About three in 10 kids said that they feel relief when they’re in a situation when they can’t access their smartphones,” Martin said.
The survey, which so far includes only Florida-based participants but will soon expand nationally, aims to follow a cohort of 11- to 13-year-olds for the next 25 to 30 years. The goal is to track how digital habits formed early in life affect well-being over time.
Martin hopes the research can bring “down the temperature” around fears of screen time. “The kids are probably going to be just fine,” he said.
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Credits:
The Poynter Report Podcast is produced by the Department of Journalism and Digital Communication at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.
- Host: Tom Jones
- Executive Producers: Elliott Wiser and Ren LaForme
- Producers: Rhiannon Mcisaac, Noah Chase and Tom Jones
- Director: Christopher Campbell
- Special thank you: Neil Brown and Dr. Mark Walters
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