Screen Time Use Among US Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study

Full Description: Screen time use encompasses a variety of activities done in front of a screen, such as gaming, using social media, and watching television. Evidence shows that among adolescents, high levels of screen time use are associated with physical and mental health risks. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent stay-at-home mandates, online learning, and social distancing guidelines have led to an increasing reliance on screens for nearly all facets of adolescents’ lives (eg entertainment, socialization, education). This has also induced a complex array of mental health challenges in adolescents, particularly among communities of color disproportionately affected by the consequences of the pandemic. Such short-term behavior changes and negative mental health repercussions during COVID-19 may remain persistently elevated, which further increase risk of adverse health outcomes and compound already existing health disparities. Although screens are a valuable learning and communication tool in the ongoing pandemic, it is critical to investigate potential disparities in how they are used and impact on adolescent mental health, to better inform how MCH stakeholders can balance screen time benefits with potential health risks in policy and practice. To assess adolescent screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed data among 5412 adolescents aged 12 to 13 years from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study May 2020 COVID-19 Survey. Descriptive statistics were conducted to summarize self-reported hours of screen time use on a typical day (excluding school-related use) in multi-player and single-player gaming, texting, social media, video chatting, internet browsing, streaming movies, videos, or TV shows, and total screen time by sociodemographic characteristics. To assess the relationship between screen time and mental health, we used linear regression analyses to estimate associations between total screen time and five mental health and resiliency measures: emotional well-being, COVID-19 related worry, perceived stress, social support, and coping behaviors. We found that adolescents reported 7.70 hours of daily screen use, nearly twice that of pre-pandemic levels, and notable differences in screen use by sociodemographic characteristics. Regression models showed that poorer mental health and greater perceived stress were associated with higher total screen time, while more social support and coping behaviors were associated with lower total screen time. This poster will provide an overview of recreational adolescent screen time levels during COVID-19 paired with data-informed recommendations on how to translate these findings into public health action. In alignment with the conference theme, the overarching goal is to prompt deep reflection upon the pandemic’s impact on adolescent screen time and inspire critical discussions among conference audiences on how to best support adolescent mental health and more intentional screen use in the future.

Abbreviated Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increasing reliance on screens among adolescents, and induced a complex array of mental health challenges among adolescents in communities of color disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Such short-term behavior changes and negative mental health repercussions during COVID-19 may remain persistently elevated, further increasing risk of long-term adverse health outcomes and compounding already existing health disparities. This poster provides a data overview of recreational screen time levels among US adolescents during the pandemic, associations with mental health and resiliency factors, and data-informed recommendations on how MCH stakeholders can balance screen time benefits with potential health risks in future policy and practice.