THE EFFECTS OF SCREEN TIME ON DEVELOPING YOUTH WITH ASD A THESIS Presented to the University Honors Program California State University, Long Beach In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the University Honors Program Certificate Robert Shin Fall 2017 I, THE UNDERSIGNED MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE, HAVE APPROVED THIS THESIS THE EFFECTS OF SCREEN TIME ON DEVELOPING YOUTH WITH ASD BY Robert Shin _____________________________________________________________ Lindsey Sterling, Ph.D. (Thesis Advisor) Clinical Psychology California State University, Long Beach ABSTRACT THE EFFECTS OF SCREEN TIME ON DEVELOPING YOUTH WITH ASD By Robert S. Shin December 2017 The purpose of this literature review is to compile the findings of studies concerning the effect of screen time on youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There already exists a sizable body of research on the detrimental effects that excessive screen time had on typically developing youth but research on youth with ASD is significantly lacking. Through this literature review, it was found that youth with ASD are affected by screen time in many of the same ways as typically developing children but often to a greater degree. Common symptoms of ASD include social difficulties and sensitivity to visual stimulus. These symptoms are reflected in their screen time preferences. Continued research is necessary to combat against these detrimental effects and find possibilities to use screen time in beneficial ways. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all of my friends and family that supported me through this academic process. It was a long, grueling process and I would not have been able to be here and even have this opportunity to write this thesis without all of their support, love, and encouragement. Thank you to Dr. Sterling for inspiring me to write on this topic. Without her help, I would have never been aware of the many intricacies and misunderstanding of those suffering from ASD. I would not have been able to focus my thesis on this important topic without her guidance. Lastly, thank you to the University Honors Program for guiding me and supporting me through this entire process. I never would have thought that I would be completing a thesis in my time as an undergraduate student but here I am. Thank you for pushing me and showing really what I am academically capable of. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... iii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 What is Screen Time? ............................................................................... 1 Effects of Screen Time............................................................................... 2 Autism Spectrum Disorder ....................................................................... 6 2. METHODS ...................................................................................................... 8 3. RESULTS ......................................................................................................... 9 General Screen Time Usage....................................................................... 9 Physical Activity Levels and Obesity ........................................................ 10 Sleep Disruption......................................................................................... 11 Social Screen Time .................................................................................... 12 Education ................................................................................................... 13 4. DISCUSSION ................................................................................................... 14 Visual Perceptual Skills ............................................................................. 14 Social Interaction ........................................................................................ 16 5. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 18 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 19 iv Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION What is Screen Time? Screen time refers to the consumption of any form of electronic media. Electronic media today comes in many different forms: television, Internet, tablets, smartphones, video games, computers, and laptops (Di Bartolo & Braun, 2017). In the world today, 51.7% of the world’s population have access to the internet and uses it on a regular basis. Since the year 2000, there has been a 976% growth in the amount of people that have access to the internet (Internet usage statistics, 2017). This new generation of children and adolescents will be the most technologically immersed generation ever because of this rapid growth, expansion of internet use, and the wide availability of the internet. With the revolutionary invention of the smartphone, individuals can now stay connected to their social networks, entertainment media, and the internet practically every moment of their lives. Recent studies have already shown that children in this generation are consuming electronic multimedia upwards of 8 hours a day; sleep is the only other activity that more time is spent on per day (Turner, 2015). Similar hours of screen time usage by adolescents have been shown throughout the world and it continues to show an increasing trend (Bucksch et al., 2015). Within the past 10 years, electronic devices have quickly become integrated with the child-rearing process. Surveys show that 78% of parents approve of their children’s 1 use of electronic devices and even more report that they do not feel that it has created any problems. 41% of parents give their children a tablet or smartphone while at restaurants in order to keep them occupied and as a distraction to keep them entertained (Sharkins et al, 2016). Parents who were more educated allowed more time for their children to view electronic devices such as television as they often believed that these devices can be used to help regulate their behavior and provide educational material that will have a positive effect on their academic and neural development: these devices are being used as electronic “babysitters” (Beyens & Eggermont, 2014). But this seems to be far from the case as much of these claims and thoughts have little to no evidence supporting them (Di Bartolo & Braun, 2017). Effects of Screen Time With so many adolescents and children being exposed to such a significant amount of screen time on a daily basis, it is impossible to deny or ignore its influence on them. But because this technology sprang forth so rapidly within the past decade, research of screen time effects is still in its infancy; much of the research that has taken place beyond 10 years ago is quickly becoming outdated due to the innovation of screen time devices. Despite the infancy of these studies, there have already been some clear trends seen. The overall conclusion found was that screen time is linked to several detrimental effects on an individual’s overall health. One of the largest findings in the research thus far is the connection of screen time and sleep. A study conducted by Twenge, Krizan, & Hisler (2015) found that adolescents in 2015 were 17% more likely to get less than 7 hours of sleep on a regular basis. Not only is sleep shorter overall, it is also interrupted more frequently throughout the night 2 resulting in a lowering of the overall quality of sleep (Parent, Sanders, & Forehand, 2016). Delay of sleep has been suspected to be caused by the exposure to the bright lights emanating from electronic screens before going to bed which causes a disruption in the circadian rhythm by suppressing the production of melatonin (Higuchi et al, 2005). Along with this disruption, there is also the likelihood of physiological arousal caused by screen usage such as the stress response being activated during emotionally stimulating videos or video games. There has even been evidence shown that electromagnetic radiation from smartphones changes the structure of sleep and suppress the production of melatonin as well (Cain & Gradisar, 2010). Another prominent negative effect of screen time is an increased risk of obesity. The amount of time spent watching television was a predictor for a change in body mass index for adolescent boys while time spent using a computer was a significant predictor for body fatness in both boys and girls (Altenburg et al, 2012). Further studies have also shown that more screen time is positively correlated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. These risks were found to be present regardless of an individual’s amount of physical activity (Stamatakis, Hamer, & Dunstan, 2011). Screen time usage in adolescence is also a strong predictor of adulthood obesity. Especially in females, screen time is strongly correlated with the incidence of obesity in adulthood, to the point that reducing screen time could prove to be an effective strategy to prevent adulthood obesity (Boone et al, 2007). Logically, the more screen time an individual consumes, the less time they have for physical activity thus the amount of physical activity an individual partakes in lowers dramatically. 3 Recent findings have also found a strong link