Teens Who Spend More Time in Extracurricular Activities & Less Time in Front of Screens Have Better Mental Health

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By Leah Asmelash, CNN

If you’re worried about your kids’ mental health, particularly because of the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing mandates, less screen time and more extracurricular activities will help, says a new study.

Adolescents — especially girls — who spend more time in extracurricular activities and less than two hours of screen time after school have better mental health, according to a study from the University of British Columbia and published in the journal Preventive Medicine.

Both factors were associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and optimism and lower levels of anxiety and depression, the study said. Longer screen time was particularly harmful for girls, as researchers saw a “significantly more pronounced” association between more screen time and worse mental health, the study said…more

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