The Use of Limiting Screen Time to Reduce or Eliminate Adverse Mental Health Effects in Adolescents: An Interventional Study

Authors

Tiffany Goree, University of Central FloridaFollow

Streaming Media

Files

Course Code

HSC

Course Number

4730

Faculty/Instructor

Professor Keith Brazendale

Faculty/Instructor Email

keith.brazendale@ucf.edu

About the Author

I'd like to acknowledge and thank my peer group who were not able to join but contributed on this project along with myself: J. Dovinh, J. Odom, A. Ramirez Barrios, I. Melo, and P. Martinez Oliva.

Research is an integral part of my journey to becoming a surgeon. I have participated in multiple research projects and courses throughout my college career to gain the experience needed to apply my desire for change and advancement in the medical field. I look forward to participating in research in greater depths.

Abstract, Summary, or Creative Statement

The research project "The Use of Limiting Screen Time During the School Year and Summer Seasons to Reduce or Eliminate Adverse Mental Health Effects in Adolescents 11-14 Years Old: A Randomized Control Trial" stemmed from personal experience and concern for adolescent mental health. I took the initiative with my formed project group and facilitated collaborative brainstorming sessions to refine our ideas. Key activities included designing the study, selecting assessment tools like the Profile of Mood States test, and coordinating collaborative sessions to discuss progress and challenges.

Through this project, I learned the importance of leadership, teamwork, and effective communication in research endeavors. As I embark on my medical school journey, these skills will be invaluable in collaborating with colleagues, leading research initiatives, and effectively communicating findings. Additionally, the project reinforced the significance of evidence-based practice and critical thinking, essential aspects of medical education and practice. Overall, this experience has provided a solid foundation for navigating the complexities of medical research and patient care in the future.

Additional Resources

Video Script

Welcome, My research project is a proposal aimed to eliminate the adverse mental health effects of social media and technology dependence in growing children.

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The use of limiting screen time during the school year and summer seasons to reduce or eliminate adverse mental health effects in an adolescents 11 to 14 years old is a randomized trial.

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It was a group proposal created.

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It was a group proposal created in the research Intensive High Impact Course Applied Health Research Methods.

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Being a mother of three girls with ages ranging from 8 to 19, I decided to implement stricter screen times for my children and upon the battle with my adolescent daughter.

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In light of this information, the idea of this proposal came about.

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What is the influence of digital media on the developing brain, particularly particularly in areas of language development, cognitive abilities and visual perception?

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The profile of Mood states Test, is what we will use to measure anxiety, depression, dejection, anger, vigor and fatigue.

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An intervention group will have screen time controls limiting usage to one to two hours per day, whilst the control group will be will be allowed unrestricted usage.

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We aim in this proposal to observe the mental health side effects of using social media and having high screen times.

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We would expect the results to be in alignment with related studies where the association between decreased social media involvement and mental health is slightly negative compared to over or unrestricted use, seemingly more so during the active school year.

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Now, we did have a few limitations in our proposal.

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Ginger gender and age were not taken into account, so this is a limiting consideration.

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Also the study we only conducted for six months long, a longer study would be a great implication in the future and also a larger population size and focus on studying the health effects across all age groups would would be a great implication for the future.

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And so this project was near and dear to me because of my own children.

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And I hope that you all enjoy and review over our poster.

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And let me know if you have any questions.

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It was a pleasure.

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Thank you.

Keywords

social media; mental health, adolescents; screen time; limiting screen time; depression

Recommended Citation

Goree, Tiffany, "The Use of Limiting Screen Time to Reduce or Eliminate Adverse Mental Health Effects in Adolescents: An Interventional Study" (2024). High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2024. 37.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hip-2024spring/37