Limiting screen time and promoting physical activity may help safeguard children’s mental health

A recent Finnish study suggests that limiting screen time and promoting physical activity from childhood may help safeguard mental health in adolescence. The findings are particularly significant given that mental health problems affect up to 30% of young people and pose a growing societal challenge.

The study, conducted by the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä and the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Eastern Finland, followed 187 adolescents over an eight-year period. Researchers found that children who spent more time on screens -especially mobile devices - were more likely to experience higher levels of stress and depressive symptoms in adolescence.

Conversely, higher levels of physical activity and participation in organized sports were associated with lower stress and fewer depressive symptoms. However, the link between physical activity and depressive symptoms was weaker than that of screen time and depressive symptoms. Adolescents with both high screen time and low physical activity had the highest levels of stress and depressive symptoms.

Several international, evidence-based recommendations suggest that the leisure screen time of children and adolescents should be limited to two hours per day.

Personally, I think that even this figure is high, as it amounts to almost one month of screen time per year."

Eero Haapala, Senior Lecturer from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä 

Balancing physical activity and screen time 

These findings emphasize the need to promote healthy lifestyle habits early in life. Encouraging children to engage in physical activity and setting reasonable limits on screen time could play a crucial role in preventing mental health challenges later in life.

"The modern sedentary lifestyle, with high screen exposure, challenges the mental health of children and adolescents," says Dr Eero Haapala.

"Recent discussions have rightly focused on screen time and social media, but I hope our findings encourage adults in young people's lives to promote a broad spectrum of healthy habits - especially by balancing screen time and physical activity."

"Achieving change requires collaboration," Haapala emphasizes.

"Society as a whole - from families to policymakers - must invest in promoting healthy lifestyles for children and adolescents by ensuring balanced screen time, sufficient physical activity, adequate sleep, and a nutritious diet."

The PANIC Study is part of the Metabolic Diseases Research Community at the University of Eastern Finland. The research community is dedicated to investigating major cardiometabolic diseases. By leveraging genetics, genomics, translational research, and lifestyle interventions, the community aims to provide robust evidence on disease mechanisms and advance early diagnosis, prevention, and personalized treatment. The research community consists of 20 research groups, spanning basic research to patient care.