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
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.