“We are reaching levels of screen consumption, whatever the age of the children, which are totally extravagant”noted Monday, February 7 on franceinfo Michel Desmurget, director of research in neurosciences at Inserm and author of The factory of the digital moron. He was reacting to the publication of a study by Unaf, the National Union of Family Associations, on the evolution of our screen consumption since the start of the health crisis and according to which there is an increase in use of almost all screens for children.
“On nursery school children, we are approaching three hours, on children at the end of primary school, beginning of college, we are at five o’clock, and on teenagers, we exceed seven hours and I am only talking about screens recreational“, lamented the researcher. “It takes time away from much more rewarding activities, from reading, sleeping, homework, human and family interactions and above all, it has negative effects on attention, learning abilities, concentration so it’s too much, it’s too much”he denounced.
“If we add up recreational screen time, we’re over 30 school years, it’s gone crazy”added Michel Desmurget. “This sensory bombardment is constant and we realize that, whatever the type of playful screen, television, video games, social networks, we have effects on school results, on sleep, on the functions cognitive, language development”he continued.
“The rules are the solution”according to him. “You have to set rules and explain them”indicated Michel Desmurget, like a “screen time” who can go “from half an hour to an hour a day”.
“Beyond 5-6 years, the literature shows that if the content is adapted and sleep is respected, up to half an hour a day there are no significant negative effects.”
Michel Desmurgetat franceinfo
He also believes that we can go “until one o’clock” provided you set limits. “Not in the bedroom, because it causes consumption to explode and the contents are not always suitable, not in the morning before going to school, not in the evening before going to bed because it disturbs sleep, because melatonin secretion linked to screen light”said the specialist.
When asked whether this increase in screen consumption is linked to the health crisis, Michel Desmurget wanted to be more contrasted. “There was a very noticeable overconsumption during the first confinement and not everything was absorbed. Is it due to confinement, to the health crisis, or to the perpetuation of a movement started before? Without doubt a bit of bothhe assured. “With each study we think that we have reached a peak, that we are at the top of Everest, and with each new study we realize that screen consumption is a little more important”found the researcher.