Social Media access for children and young people is in the news.
Youth Sport Trust have reminded us of the findings from their research on the topic. In short, that “digital dependency is undermining children’s health, happiness and life chances”
Their ‘Class of 35’ reports state that, if current trends continue to 2035:
- Almost half (48%) of children will spend three hours or more on screens for entertainment each day
- More than a third (34%) will fail to be active for even 30 minutes a day
- Annual Type 2 diabetes diagnoses in children will double
- More than 180,000 children will be classified as clinically obese
- Schools will see declining attendance, engagement, and belonging among the least active pupils
Sources: Class of 2035 – Youth Sport Trust
A tipping point for childhood: time to rebalance screens with sport and play – Youth Sport Trust
A review of academic papers concludes that sport and physical activity is an effective means to reduce screen time among CYP.
“Increasing physical activity, especially through exercise conducted in the natural environment, presents itself as a potentially effective strategy for reducing problematic use of digital devices, particularly in younger populations”