Newswise — Researchers at the University of Otago, New Zealand, are emphasizing the urgent need for regulations to safeguard children from harm in the unregulated online realm. The researchers have made this call following the publication of their study on the after-school behaviors of 12-year-olds. Their findings, which are now available in the New Zealand Medical Journal, reveal that children devote approximately one-third of their after-school hours to screen usage, with more than half of this time occurring after 8pm.
Dr. Moira Smith, a senior researcher from the University's Department of Public Health, asserts that these figures exceed the existing guidelines, which suggest that school-aged children and adolescents should engage in less than two hours of screen time per day outside of school hours. The outcomes of the study stem from the innovative Kids'Cam project, which involved equipping 108 children with wearable cameras capable of capturing images every seven seconds. This approach provided a distinctive glimpse into the children's daily lives during the years 2014 and 2015.
The predominant activities observed among the children were playing games and watching programs, with a noteworthy ten percent of the time spent utilizing more than one screen simultaneously.
The utilization of screens detrimentally impacts the health and overall well-being of children. According to Dr. Smith, it is linked to obesity, diminished mental well-being, disrupted sleep patterns, impaired cognitive function, decreased physical activity, and difficulties in concentration and emotional regulation.
Screen usage has become a regular and integrated aspect of children's daily lives, and it is likely to have increased since the collection of data from the Kids'Cam project. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the rise in screen time, with children in 2023 frequently engaging in online activities, particularly through smartphones. Based on the latest media usage survey, YouTube and Netflix are the most popular platforms for watching programs, while one in three children under the age of 14 actively participates in social media, with TikTok being the most commonly used platform (rated R13).
Dr. Smith highlights that children are exposed to advertisements for vaping, alcohol, gambling, and unhealthy food choices, and they encounter instances of sexism, racism, and bullying while online. Cyberbullying, in particular, is a prevalent issue among children in Aotearoa, with one in four parents reporting that their child has experienced online bullying.
Dr. Smith asserts that the existing legislation in New Zealand is outdated and insufficient in addressing the online environment to which children are exposed. She emphasizes the necessity of safeguarding children from harm within this predominantly unregulated space, despite recognizing the numerous benefits of screen use.
Dr. Smith commends the government for its commendable efforts in proposing increased regulation of social media, as highlighted in the recent consultation document from the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). The document acknowledges concerns regarding children accessing inappropriate content during their online activities.
At present, the researchers at the University of Otago are actively investigating the online experiences of children in Aotearoa using screen capture technology. The findings from this study are anticipated to be released in the near future.
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