Abstract
Adolescents — especially girls — who devote more time to extracurricular activities and less than two hours to screen time after school have better mental health, according to a study from the University of British Columbia published in Preventive Medicine, CNN reported Nov. 4. Both factors were associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and optimism and lower levels of anxiety and depression, the study said. Longer screen time was particularly harmful for girls, as researchers saw a “significantly more pronounced” association between more screen time and worse mental health, the study said. But it's not healthy for either gender: Screen time that went beyond the recommended limit of two hours was still significantly associated with lower satisfaction and optimism among boys and girls, the study said. “Although we conducted this study before the COVID‐19 pandemic, the findings are especially relevant now when teens may be spending more time in front of screens in their free time if access to extracurricular activities, like sports and arts programs, is restricted due to COVID‐19,” said Eva Oberle, lead author of the study, in a news release.
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