'Growing Up in Ireland' links screen time to child behavioural difficulties

Five-year-old children who spend three hours a day or more watching television, playing video games, or on the internet are more likely to be among those with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

This latest research from the Growing Up in Ireland project showed that 18% of the children who spent the greatest amount of time on electronics displayed such behavioural problems compared to 10% of children with the lowest levels of “screen time”.

This finding reflects international research which suggests that prolonged screen time can affect child development, even when the content is suitable for young children.