Is too much screen time linked to early puberty?
Why are kids going through puberty earlier and earlier?
For years, scientists have researched why kids are undergoing puberty sooner. During the COVID pandemic, physicians reported more girls experiencing early puberty and we still don’t know why. This new study may be helpful in explaining the link between excessive screen time and early onset of puberty.
Here’s what we know so far:
Blue light occurs naturally from the sun and is also emitted from the screens we use - screens like TVs, tablets, computers and phones
Being exposed to blue light at night disrupts the circadian rhythm and sleep cycles. Screen time at night is linked to poor sleep because the blue light is signaling your brain to wake up when it should be winding down.
Children’s screen time has gone up over the years and rose significantly during the pandemic, averaging 4-6 hours for kids 8-12 years old and 9 hours for teens
There’s a vicious cycle happening here. Kids are on their screens at night, with blue light stimulating their brains to wake up, they try to go to bed but are not tired, they get bored and get back on their screens, furthering the cycle of stimulation and poor sleep habits. The next day kids are tired and can’t focus, followed by going home to more screen stimulation at night, as their bodies would normally be powering down.
In this small study, higher levels of blue light exposure were associated with the early onset of puberty in female rats. Blue light exposure also suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep at night.
These findings may lead to blue light being categorized as a risk factor for early onset of puberty.
Obviously, more research is needed to make sure this applies to humans.
What parents can to minimize blue light exposure
Take the phones and tablets out of your child’s bedroom at night. Get rid of the temptation to use screens late at night!
Limit screen time
Create a healthy habit of turning off screens 2 hours before bed, for yourself and your kids
After dinner, take a family walk, play a family board game or have reading time with a book
Create a healthy habit of taking “eye breaks” - every 30 minutes look away from your screen and focus on the horizon or something far away for 2 minutes.
On KOAT’S morning news, our Director Lisa Honold spoke about increased screen time and the possible link to early puberty. She encourages parents to limit their children’s exposure to blue light - one simple way to reduce exposure is to remove screens from the bedroom at night.