A new study will follow thousands of Alberta schoolchildren to determine how technology has affected their physical and mental health.
The study is looking at the consequences of growing up surrounded by technology, said Phil McRae, a executive staff officer with the Alberta Teachers Association.
“We need to look at the impact of technology and its connectivity, not just on things like exercise, but also sleep quality, cognition, homework and readiness to learn. We’re really bringing together the world of learning and health to have a thoughtful discussion.”
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McRae and Dr. Michael Rich, a pediatrician and associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, are working with the University of Alberta on the Growing Up Digital Project.
“We’re a very connected society,” said McRae, who grew up on a ranch outside Pincher Creek, Alta.
The combination of big screen televisions, video games and hand-held devices means Canadian children between ages eight to 18 spend about seven hours and 45 minutes in front of a screen, he said.
“Being a ranch kid, and I think about the impact of that on our lives, and it’s phenomenal,” said McRae.
Time spent on outdoor free play has dropped by 50 percent in North America, he added.
“There are many reasons for it, and one of the reasons is technology.”
The first phase of the study will look at the extent of children’s exposure to digital media and then assess the social, learning and health impacts of this exposure in children from kindergarten to Grade 12, and possibly preschool.
“Increasing digital technology is becoming the new baby rattle.”
The second phase will involve tracking students in Alberta to detail their use of technology.
Researchers want to see if children’s sleep quality and quantity are hurt because of screen time late at night.
McRae said a study found that 39 percent of young people in Canada sleep with their phones.
“If indeed we see an impact at critical developmental stages of children’s lives with sleep quality and quantity, we might want to think about how to build boundaries in this boundless digital space,” he said.
“Do we turn off the screen two hours before we close our eyes? It’s about how to we live a fine balance with the world we live in.”
The study isn’t designed to build a case for tossing out technology but finding ways to build more resilience in young people in learning, health and relationships, he said.
It’s not uncommon to see people “sit alone together” with everyone on the phone, he added.
“We sense a change in social habits and interaction and relationships because of technology.”
McRae said relationships are critical to our survival in different communities, especially in remote or rural areas.
“You have to have relationships with those around you,” he said.
McRae hopes to follow individual children in the study for several years.
The research is “undiscovered country,” but he expects to find good and bad in the results.
“Just as we can use the technology to connect with grandparents who live on the farm, which is huge for relationships — that’s a real positive — but as we see that, we will also see people sitting around the dinner table with their devices and they will be alone together.”
McRae said that during a recent visit back to the family’s southern Alberta ranch, family members made an effort to spend time outside together.
“We spent a lot of time in the field tobogganing, feeding the cattle outside because we recognize there is this opportunity to engage with nature and learn from it, but that’s not every child’s experience anymore.”
