As parents, we’re typically pretty conscious about the amount of screen time our children get in a given day or week. Staring at a phone or television for hours on end isn’t good for a myriad of reasons, but it can be a common activity when children are working to recover from a condition and are limited in their physical activity. Could these bright and flashing screens cause more problems for children recovering from a concussion, or could some screen time actually have some benefits? A new study suggests that a little screen time may prove useful while kids recover from a concussion.
Concussions And Screen Time
A recent study published in Pediatrics attempted to learn more about the impact of screen time on the recovery process of children working to overcome a concussion. A previous study found that screen time could slow down recovery after a concussion, but it used a very small tracking window. For the most recent study, researchers tracked more than 700 children between the ages of 8-16. Their injury and recovery was documented for 7-10 days, and screen time and symptoms were tracked for six months. Researchers also examined how screen time affected the recovery of patients who had suffered an orthopedic injury, like an ankle sprain.
While participants in the concussion group tended to have worse symptoms than those in the orthopedic group, researchers found that screen time didn’t play a role in these worsening symptoms. In fact, they found that kids in the concussion group exhibited a slower recovery if they had extreme restrictions for screen time during their recovery period.
Researchers surmised that screen time can have some immense social benefits at a time when children may feel isolated because of their head injury.
“Kids use smartphones and computers to stay connected with peers, so complete removal of those screens could lead to feelings of disconnection, loneliness and not having social support,” said Molly Cairncross, an assistant professor at Simon Fraser University who conducted the research, said in a press release. “Those things are likely to have a negative effect on kids’ mental health and that can make recovery take longer.”
Ultimately, researchers concluded that, like in many aspects of life, moderation is best. Some screen time while recovering can provide social and psychological benefits, but over-reliance can put a child at risk for headaches and other symptoms connected to their concussion. Similar to how athletes should slowly work their way back to physical activity after a concussion, patients should slowly increase their screen time as they recover and listen to their body to see how it’s handling everything. If symptoms develop, cut back your screen time and focus on getting quality sleep and staying hydrated.