While most addictive substances such as alcohol can be easily quantified, digital content cannot, making it difficult to define and stymie "digital addiction" in children, according to a JAMA op-ed published on May 16.
In the article, Dimitri Christakis, MD, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute, posits that, similar to that of alcohol consumption, the outcomes associated with digital content consumption can be represented with an "inverted U" shape. That is, children with either heavy media exposure or none at all experience less than desirable health outcomes than those with a moderate amount.
This curve is made more complex, however, by the fact that digital content cannot be quantified into equal units the way alcohol can: "It is not as simple as time spent on a device or activity but rather how that time is spent that matters," Dr. Christakis wrote.
The only way for researchers to adequately understand the impact of digital content on children's health, then, is to collect extensive data regarding their consumption habits — something that companies such as Facebook and Apple have been reluctant to share with anyone other than advertisers.
"[Media conglomerates] should consider collaborating with impartial scientists so that they can begin to understand how to mediate media in the best interest of children," Dr. Christakis concluded. "Without their cooperation, child advocates may never get the answers they need to understand digital media use by children and develop effective measures to prevent and counteract 'digital addiction' in children."
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