A recent study conducted at Costello Van Dyke University Medical Center led to an astounding discovery that will change the lives of every family with access to televisions, computers, phones, or tablets.
Born on the eve of the September 7th, 2016 Apple Event announcing the iPhone 7, this research project was in fact the brain child of one disgruntled resident wife. She and her radiology resident husband had run out of ideas for what to do with their ample time together. Having scrolled past the announcement about the event on Facebook, the resident gathered his wife and four kids to the couch. The two youngest huddled around an iPad, giggling over the ill tempers of the birds in their game. The other two were old enough to have their own phones, one diligently using the SAT flashcard app to which he had been glued for months, the other texting a happy birthday message to her grandmother.
As husband and wife heard about the launch of the new and improved iPhone, the wife looked down the line at her family and posed the question to her husband: “What has become of our society, that they could see this as a bad thing?”
Inspired, the resident returned to his radiology department the next day and rounded up three colleagues whose wives had also been victims of screen time shaming, and pitched a research project to them.
“Well, we have to do one project to graduate, anyway,” one resident said, passion for the project burning in his eyes. They worked diligently, several hours a month between the four of them. The research was structured as a retrospective longitudinal study, using the small sample size of eight. They focused on their own lives, to ensure validity in reporting, and further branched out to their close friends in the orthopedic residency program.
Their hypothesis: Screen time has a positive effect on children both during childhood and into their adult lives.
Based on their initial data that showed radiology residents had consumed more than twice as much television on average across their childhoods as orthopedic residents, their findings were threefold:
- Radiologists reported fewer childhood injuries, supporting the idea that screen time creates a safer environment for children,
- Radiologists had better interpersonal relationships, denouncing the preconceived notion that screen time damages human social skills, and
- Radiologists had found a way to incorporate a healthy use of screens into their careers, while orthopedic surgeons showed little proficiency with screens in the workplace.
Hypothesis: Correct. Screen time is vital.
While these findings are not universally received in a positive manner, most moms are thrilled to have a scientifically sound argument to throw at the anti-screen time moms at the park play dates. The pressure to sweat it out in the summer has decreased. Stocks for Disney, Netflix, and Apple have significantly increased in value since the data was released. Families are bonding again over the joys of classic movies and binge watching.
To participate in upcoming screen time studies, please contact Costello Van Dike University.
