Too Much Television and Video Games Increase Anxiety in Children and Lower Self-Esteem: Study

Watching too much television or spending a long time playing video games leads to anxiety and depression among  children, a British research reveals.

Researchers at Public Health England found that spending too much time in front of the idiot box can affect self-esteem and happiness among children. This social affliction is major cause of concern throughout the country, the study noted. The research is a part of a Change4life campaign encouraging parents to adopt healthier lifestyles.

Children spending more time on computers and gaming consoles experience higher levels of emotional distress, anxiety and depression, according to Professor Kevin Fenton, Public Health England's Director of Health and Wellbeing.

"There are many complex factors that affect a child's wellbeing such as the wider environment they live in and their social, financial and family circumstances, but there are also some very simple things we can all do every day with our children to help improve their health and wellbeing. Our goal is to encourage families across England to sign up to Change4Life to make a healthy change to their new term-time routines, which will hopefully then become part of their everyday lives," he said.

According to the research, physical activity improves concentration in children and enhances relationships with family and classmates. These children also tend to show lower levels of worry, anxiety and depression.

"When we asked children about their wellbeing as part of our Good Childhood Report, we found a strong association with being active and being happy. Things like cycling, swimming or playing football all had a clear relationship, but simple things like just going for walks were associated with higher wellbeing," Lil Caprani, Director of Communications, Policy and Campaigns, The Children's Society said, according to Sky News.