Increased Screen Time Linked to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Preteens

The chances of developing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) over a two-year period increased by 15% for every hour children played video games and by 11% for every hour they watched videos, according to a recent study (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Screen Time and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Among Children 9–10 Years Old: A Prospective Cohort Study

Go to source).

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The Odds of Developing OCD are Higher with Increased Screen-time

Researchers asked 9,204 preteens ages 9-10 years how much time they spent on different types of platforms; the average was 3.9 hours per day. Two years later, the researchers asked their caregivers about OCD symptoms and diagnoses. Use of screens for educational purposes was excluded. At the two-year mark, 4.4% of preteens had developed new-onset OCD. Video games and streaming videos were each connected to higher risk of developing OCD. Texting, video chat and social media didn’t link individually with OCD, but that may be because the preteens in the sample didn’t use them much, researchers said. Results may differ for older teens, they added.

It was discovered excessive screen-time was linked to disruptive behavior disorders in 9-11 year olds, though social media was the biggest contributor in that case. They also found that adolescent screen time had doubled during the pandemic.

Children who spend excessive time playing video games report feeling the need to play more and more and being unable to stop despite trying. Intrusive thoughts about video game content could develop into obsessions or compulsions. Watching videos, too, can allow for compulsive viewing of similar content – and algorithms and advertisements can exacerbate that behavior.

OCD is characterized by recurrent and unwanted intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors that an individual feels driven to perform (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR)

Go to source). OCD can have severely debilitating and long-lasting effects on adolescent development that extend into adulthood such as social isolation, having fewer relationships than their peers, co-morbid mental illnesses, and diminished quality of life. With contemporary technology platforms potentially facilitating compulsive checking of content and repetitive behaviors (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Compulsive YouTube usage: A comparison of use motivation and personality effects

Go to source), the question of whether high levels of screen time are associated with mental health conditions like OCD is of the utmost importance.

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How Screen-time Can Affect The Chances of Developing OCD

Screen use could promote perfectionism through needing to attain a perfect score on a video game or overestimation of threat by being exposed to screen violence. Perfectionism and overestimation of threat are belief domains that may play an important role in the development of obsessions from intrusive thoughts. In addition, screen time could lead to biases in self-perception through comparisons with others such as influencers on social media or YouTube videos, which could lead to intrusive thoughts and develop into obsessions. For instance, recent literature has proposed that when followers develop intense relationships with social media influencers, they can become increasingly obsessed, leading to problematic engagement and unstable emotional responses (i.e., envy, anxiety, fear of missing out) that may ultimately contribute to OCD (4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Followers' problematic engagement with influencers on social media: An attachment theory perspective

Go to source).

Even though screen time can have important benefits such as education and increased socialization, parents should be aware of the potential risks, especially to mental health. The findings should increase awareness around screen use and its possible role in OCD development. Families can develop a media use plan which could include screen-free times including before bedtime.

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How to Decrease Screen Time for Children

• Being accountable and setting expectations and goals with children to be intentional about reducing screen time.
• Set smaller and more attainable goals. Slowly reduce screen-time instead of cutting out video games and TV entirely.
• It is important for parents to give their children their full attention and talk to their children face to face.
• During screen-free hours, put devices away or at a charging station in a common area so they’re not attracting attention.
• Make family meals a screen-free zone to reduce screen-time
• Taking a walk or playing outdoors increases endorphins and the feeling of happiness in the brain, improving mood and physical health.

References:

1. Screen Time and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Among Children 9–10 Years Old: A Prospective Cohort Study - (https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(22)00722-4/fulltext)
2. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) - (https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm)
3. Compulsive YouTube usage: A comparison of use motivation and personality effects - (https://www.academia.edu/37230231/Compulsive_YouTube_usage_A_comparison_ of_use_motivation_and_personality_effects)
4. Followers’ problematic engagement with influencers on social media: An attachment theory perspective - (https://en.x-mol.com/paper/article/1509800813702209536)

Source-Medindia