Children Addicted to Digital Media are Less Likely to Finish Homework

Children addicted to digital media devices like TV, video games or smartphone or tablets are less likely to finish their homework.

Children addicted to digital media devices like TV, video games or smartphone or tablets are less likely to finish their homework, revealed a study.

The findings showed that children who spent four to six hours a day on digital media outside of schoolwork had 49% lower odds of always or usually finishing their homework than those with less than two hours per day.

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‘Digital media exposure for long hours is associated with decreases in a variety of childhood well-being measures including homework completion, interest in learning new things, and staying calm when challenged.’

Those with six or more hours of media use had 63% lower odds of always or usually finishing their homework compared to children who spent less than two hours per day using media.

Children who spent two to four hours a day using digital devices had 23% lower odds of always or usually finishing their homework, compared to children who spent less than two hours consuming digital media.

"It is important for parents and caregivers to understand that when their children are exposed to multiple different forms of digital media each day, the combined total digital media exposure is associated with decreases in a variety of childhood well-being measures including homework completion, task completion, interest in learning new things, and staying calm when challenged," said Stephanie Ruest from Brown University in Rhode Island, US.

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Children can practice their lessons with given homework which also helps to review the lessons taught in school, but the very thought of completing and submitting on time can stress the child.

For the study, pediatricians analyzed children's use of digital media to better understand how it relates to childhood "flourishing", or overall positive well-being - measured by behaviors and characteristics including diligence, initiative, task completion, and interpersonal relationships.

They examined the media use and homework habits of more than 64,000 children aged six to 17 years.

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In addition, a similar relationship was found between digital media exposure and four other measures of childhood flourishing, including always or usually caring about doing well in school, completing tasks that are started, showing interest in learning new things, and staying calm when faced with challenges, the researchers noted.

"Parents should consider these combined effects when setting limits on digital media devices," Ruest suggested.

Children Will Do Their Homework With Interest If They View It as Investment
A new research at the University of Michigan has pointed out that children will show more interest in doing their homework if they see it as an investment, and not a task to be finished.

The study was presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2016 National Conference & Exhibition in San Francisco, recently.

Source-IANS