Screen Time vs. Green Time: How Outdoor Play May Boost A Child's Health and Vision
In today's digital age, children are spending more time than ever in front of screens. While technology offers many benefits, the balance between "screen time" and "green time" has become a critical issue for parents. Let's explore how trading some screen time for outdoor play may boost your child's health, development, and even vision.
The Screen Time Dilemma
As parents, we know inherently that children's screen time has increased dramatically since we were growing up. Many kids spend hours daily on smartphones, tablets, computers, and televisions. While digital devices can be valuable tools for learning and entertainment, excessive screen time has been linked to various health concerns, including:
- Increased risk of obesity due to sedentary behavior1
- Sleep disturbances from blue light exposure2
- Potential negative impacts on mental health and social skills3
- Eye strain and increased risk of myopia (nearsightedness)4
Balance outdoor time and screen time for your kids.
In his book "The Anxious Generation," Jonathan Haidt emphasizes the importance of unstructured outdoor play for children's social development.
Haidt writes, "children need thousands of hours of free play and face-to-face social interaction to develop the social skills and confidence necessary to handle the challenges of adolescence and adulthood. They need to learn how to read social cues, manage conflicts, and regulate their emotions in real-time interactions with other children."7
The Green Time Solution
Enter "green time" – the antidote to excessive screen use. Green time can equate to time spent outdoors. Research increasingly shows that outdoor play offers a multitude of benefits for children's physical, mental, and visual health.
Reflecting on my childhood, which Jonathan Haidt in his book Anxious Generation describes as the "play-based" generation, here are a few of my favorite outdoor activities we did after school and on weekends with our friends.
Tag: We played freeze tag, flashlight tag or redlight, greenlight.
Riding Bikes: We spent hours riding bikes around the neighborhood.
Building Forts: Using whatever materials we could find. Kids built forts in the backyard or wherever there was space and materials.
Jumping Rope: Single and double jump rope games were a staple.
Exploring: We went on hikes and collected ladybugs. We found tadpoles and kept them in a bowl until they turned into frogs.
Playing Hide and Seek: A timeless game that we played everywhere and consumed hours at a time.
Water Balloon Fights: During summer, water balloon fights and running through sprinklers were common, until there was a drought.
Flying Kites: There were kites in parks, at the beach, and wherever there was wind, enough space and no telephone wires.
What activities did you enjoy as a child that your kids might enjoy spending more time on?
Physical Health Benefits
Outdoor activities naturally encourage physical activity and offer numerous benefits for kids, promoting physical health and mental well-being. Engaging in sports, hiking, or biking helps maintain a healthy weight and improves cardiovascular fitness. For tweens and teens, outdoor pursuits may provide a vital break from academic stress and screen time, boosting mental health and fostering social connections. These activities also enhance coordination and self-confidence, crucial aspects of development, while time in nature can inspire creativity and broaden perspectives.
Mental Health and Developmental Benefits
The mental health benefits of outdoor play are equally impressive. Time outside has been shown to:
- Reduce stress and anxiety levels in children5
- Improve mood and self-esteem
- Enhance cognitive functions like attention and memory6
- Foster creativity and problem-solving skills
Vision Benefits: A Clear Advantage
Perhaps one of the most eye-opening benefits of green time is its positive impact on children's vision. Recent studies have revealed a link between outdoor time and reduced risk of myopia in children8. Here's how outdoor play benefits eye health:
Balancing Screen Time and Green Time
While eliminating screen time isn't realistic or necessary, finding a healthy balance is crucial. Here are some strategies to increase green time:
- Set screen time limits and stick to them
- Create a daily outdoor play schedule
- Engage in family outdoor activities
- Encourage participation in outdoor sports or nature clubs
- Design an inviting outdoor space at home
The goal isn't to eliminate technology but to ensure it doesn't crowd out the irreplaceable benefits of outdoor play.
As we navigate the challenges of raising children in a digital world, the importance of green time cannot be overstated. By encouraging outdoor play, we're not just reducing screen time – we're actively promoting our children's physical health, mental well-being, and visual development.
So, the next time you're tempted to hand over a tablet or let your child scroll through their phone when they get home from school, consider opening the door instead. The benefits of trading some screen time for green time may be more far-reaching than you imagine. Your child's health, development, and vision will thank you for it.
References:
[1] Robinson, T. N., et al. (2017). Screen Media Exposure and Obesity in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics, 140(Supplement 2), S97-S101.
[2] Hale, L., & Guan, S. (2015). Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: A systematic literature review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 21, 50-58.
[3] Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271-283.
[4] Lanca, C., & Saw, S. M. (2020). The association between digital screen time and myopia: A systematic review. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 40(2), 216-229.
[5] Taylor, A. F., & Kuo, F. E. (2009). Children With Attention Deficits Concentrate Better After Walk in the Park. Journal of Attention Disorders, 12(5), 402–409.
[6] Dankiw, K. A., et al. (2020). The impacts of unstructured nature play on health in early childhood development: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 15(2), e0229006.
[7] Haidt, J., & Twenge, J. M. (2024). The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Penguin Press.
[8] Xiong, S., et al. (2017). Time spent in outdoor activities in relation to myopia prevention and control: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Acta Ophthalmologica, 95(6), 551-566.
[9] Zhou, X., Pardue, M. T., Iuvone, P. M., & Qu, J. (2017). Dopamine signaling and myopia development: What are the key challenges. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research, 61, 60-71.
