It’s no secret that technology has become an integral component of daily life. In particular, it’s become rare to see children and teens without a digital device in hand wherever they go: restaurants, waiting rooms, parks, schools. The rapid pace at which toddlers, children, and teens are adopting technology into their daily lives has many questioning the effects it can have on their development.
Children’s physical activity levels have been at the forefront of health discussions for several years now, with evidence showing childhood obesity as a major concern. The World Health Organisation (WHO, 2016) reported that 81 percent of adolescents aged 11–17 years were insufficiently physically active. Even though children might be engaging their mind on a computer, the active participation of their body is limited. Some kids are prone to obesity because of a combination of technology activity and physical inactivity. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 10.4 percent of preschool children and 19.6 percent of children of ages 6 through 11 are obese. Some kids act inappropriately when watching violent games on TV. According to Craig Anderson of the American Psychological Association, “High levels of violent video game exposure have been linked to delinquency, fighting at school and during free play periods, and violent criminal behaviour.”
One factor often identified as contributing to childhood obesity is the abundance of technology now available to most children, which discourages them from participating in more traditional physical activities. However, the wide range of technology available means it can exert a variety of effects on children’s participation in physical activity. The range of technology that children have access to has changed enormously over the past two decades, and today’s ‘digital universe’ is very different from the universe that many of us will have grown up in. Children of today are often referred to as ‘digital natives’, as they have been brought up using the internet and technology from a very young age. In fact, research shows that by the age of 10 years, children have access to five different screens at home. But in what ways does this impact a child’s physical activity levels? Is screen time always sedentary and does it always discourage physical activity?
The general recommendation for screen time is approximately two hours a day, although there is no uniform global guidance on this in the way there is for physical activity (AAP, 2016). This suggested figure is based on research showing that excessive media use can lead to attention problems, difficulties at school, sleep and eating disorders, and obesity. But why is it important to look at screen time and what connection does this have with a child’s physical activity levels?
Despite the negative links with obesity and physical activity, there are changes in the way in which children are spending their screen time, which can be far from sedentary. For example, ‘Pokémon GO’ was the latest craze that got children and adults more active. With the development of health and fitness-related apps, there is the potential that screen time will not necessarily always be sedentary. Likewise, changes in the technology of games consoles have also seen a rise in active video games and ‘exergaming’ (technology-driven physical activity). Surrounding this development is a growing wealth of academic literature looking at the use of active video games to help address the falling levels of physical activity in children. Another form of technology that is receiving growing media and academic attention is wearable technology, which consists of a range of different devices that can be worn and that record and display health and physical activity information. With activity trackers for children being a relatively new product on the market, there is very little research examining the impact of fitness trackers on children’s physical activity. However, one study found that using wearable technology within physical education classes increased physical activity, motivation and goal-setting performance.
Developing a balance between technology use and physical exercise is an important habit from the time a child starts walking. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics in the article, “Media Education: What Parents Can Do,” the best role model you can provide your child is yourself. Make a habit of turning the TV off when eating dinner, eliminating computer use after a certain time each day, limiting the daily time spent video gaming and engage in some form of physical exercise together. Many parents find that signing up their child for a gymnastics class or recreational soccer team helps him take a break from the media devices available at his fingertips and also develop friendships with other kids. Show your child it’s OK to disengage from technology. The rise in technology, such as active video games and wearable activity monitoring, as well as health and fitness apps aimed at children, suggests that technology could be encouraging physical activity. Technology will continue to develop and its impact on physical activity levels is a growing area of research.

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Faheem Fayaz