Teenagers Participating in Extra-Curricular Activities and Spending Less Screen Time Have Better Mental Health

A new study from the University of British Columbia shows that teens, particularly girls, have better mental health when they spend more time participating in extracurricular activities such as sports and art and less time using electronic gadgets.

The study, which the Preventive Medicine journal published, found that spending less than two hours each day of "recreational screen time" like internet browsing, playing video games, and using social media was linked to higher levels of satisfaction and optimism in life, as well as lower anxiety levels and depressive symptoms, particularly among teenage girls.

Similarly, participation in extracurricular activities was also linked to better mental health outcomes among teenage girls, the study found.

According to Eva Oberle, lead author of the study and assistant professor with the Human Early Learning Partnership in the UBC School of population and public health, even conducted this research before the COVID-19 crisis came, the results "are especially relevant now when teens" may be spending more time in front of their computer, mobile phone or tablet screen, during their free time if access to their extracurricular activities like sports for one, is limited because of the pandemic.

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A new study shows that teens, particularly girls, have better mental health when they are spending more time participating in extracurricular activities such as sports and art and less time using electronic gadgets.

Extracurricular Activities

Oberle added, their research findings underscore extracurricular activities as an asset for the mental wellbeing of teens.

Searching for safe ways for both kids and teenagers to continue taking part in these extracurricular activities, the assistant professor also said, in these present times may be one way of reducing screen time and promoting wellbeing and mental health.

Reports on the study said data for this particular research "was drawn from a population-level" survey engaging more than 29,000 seventh graders from over 300 schools in 27 school districts across BC.

The study authors investigated recreational screen time like playing video games, watching TV and internet browsing, as well as participating in outdoor extracurricular activities like sport and art programs after school. They then compared their link to both positive and negative mental health gauges.

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Study Highlights

One of the highlights of the study who took part in the extracurricular activities was considerably less likely to get involved in recreational screen-based activities for two hours or more after school.

Another highlight was that participating in extracurricular activities was linked to more satisfaction in life and lower anxiety levels.

Additionally, the screen time of more than two hours each day was linked to lower optimism levels and higher depressive symptom levels.

Consequently, differences among males and females with longer screen time adversely impact girls' mental health more substantially than boys.

Among the boys and girls, though, mental health was strongest when teenagers both took part in extracurricular activities and spent a shorter time, like less than two hours on screen time.

According to Oberle, there is a need for further research to investigate why the adverse impacts of screen time were more harmful to girls than boys.

She hopes to concentrate too, on future studies on the impacts of different screen time types. The lead author elaborated, "We do know that some forms of screen time can be beneficial," such as staying connected with friends, family, and loved ones if they cannot be together in person, although there are other types of screen time too, "That can be quite harmful."

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