Montreal teens more digitally dependent during pandemic, but many are bored of staring at screens
A new study from Montreal public health found screen time has surged among adolescents during the pandemic. Seventy per cent of teenagers said they’re staring at their phones, scrolling through social media or playing video games more often.
"It's a high figure," said Jean-Francois Biron, a researcher with public health group the Direction régionale de santé publique. "Their well-being was affected."
Biron and his team surveyed 725 Montrealers between the ages of 13 and 17 from April to May 2021.
According to the study, 27 per cent of adolescents spend five hours or more in front of a screen. The number jumps to 44 per cent on the weekends. That time doesn't include school work.
While technology helped teenagers stay connected during shutdowns and school closures, all that scrolling also had negative consequences.
"The study shows spending an intense amount of time on screen affects the mental health of adolescents," said Biron.
Forty-five per cent of teenagers surveyed had trouble sleeping, while another 37 per cent said their performance at school took a hit.
It's a love-hate relationship when it comes to teenagers and technology. More than a third are bored of constantly staring at screens.
But kicking the digital dependence might be difficult. Even though restrictions are lifted, University of Montreal psychology professor Linda Pagani said teenagers have become even more accustomed to excessive screen time.
"There's a thirst for interaction (among teenagers) that is unparalleled in any other developmental period. But what happens with confinement is you develop these new habits and then when confinement ends, you’ve (still) got this habit going on," said Pagani, who specializes in behavioural development among children.
Her advice to parents is to encourage their children to get active and find work.
"The most wonderful intervention right now is to get your kids a part-time job," she said. "It increases their socialization. They develop a motivation to succeed at something."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.