Start Date
23-4-2025 2:15 PM
Location
3rd floor - Library
Abstract
In today’s tech-driven world, screen-based devices are ever-present in the lives of children and adolescents. While technology offers many benefits, concerns continue to grow about its impact on youth during critical stages of development. This study explores the relationship between screen time and how preteen students perceive their personal strengths. A survey was conducted with 29 sixth grade students from Milford elementary schools, all participating as peer leaders in the Sources of Strength program—a school wide, evidence-based, strengths-based suicide prevention initiative. Students rated themselves on the eight key strengths laid out in the Sources of strength model: physical health, mental health, mentors, family support, spirituality, generosity, positive friends, and healthy activities. They also reported their average daily screen time, excluding school-related use, on both weekdays and weekends. Results indicated that students who rated themselves lower in key strengths were more likely to exceed the recommended two hours of daily screen time. Conversely, those who remained within the guideline tended to view themselves more positively across strength areas. Although the findings support existing evidences about the negative effects of excessive screen time on youth well-being, the study’s scope is limited by its small sample size and the exclusive focus on students already engaged in a strength-based leadership program.
Strong or Scrolling? Exploring the Relationship Between Screen Time and Self-Perceived Strengths in Preteens
3rd floor - Library
In today’s tech-driven world, screen-based devices are ever-present in the lives of children and adolescents. While technology offers many benefits, concerns continue to grow about its impact on youth during critical stages of development. This study explores the relationship between screen time and how preteen students perceive their personal strengths. A survey was conducted with 29 sixth grade students from Milford elementary schools, all participating as peer leaders in the Sources of Strength program—a school wide, evidence-based, strengths-based suicide prevention initiative. Students rated themselves on the eight key strengths laid out in the Sources of strength model: physical health, mental health, mentors, family support, spirituality, generosity, positive friends, and healthy activities. They also reported their average daily screen time, excluding school-related use, on both weekdays and weekends. Results indicated that students who rated themselves lower in key strengths were more likely to exceed the recommended two hours of daily screen time. Conversely, those who remained within the guideline tended to view themselves more positively across strength areas. Although the findings support existing evidences about the negative effects of excessive screen time on youth well-being, the study’s scope is limited by its small sample size and the exclusive focus on students already engaged in a strength-based leadership program.
