It starts off with this extremely neutral and reasonable statement that says nothing about causation:
Screen time and tobacco smoking were also significantly associated with higher frequency of depressed mood.
And then goes on to say "We need to limit screen time" which is a baseless conclusion.
Smoking is known to mediate depression because of what it does to brain chemistry. One medication that gets prescribed to treat depression has such a strong track record of causing people to stop smoking as a side effect that it now gets prescribed for that purpose.
I will agree with commenters here objecting to the framing that "You need to reduce screen time as a means to treat depression." That assumption is unwarranted and not nuanced.
Screen time likely goes up when you are tired and sick. Being tired and sick can help foster depression.
The solution in a case like that is not "You need less screen time." It's "You need to get well and better rested."
When I'm sick and tired, I spend all my time on the computer and/or playing games on my phone to keep myself occupied so I don't go nuts. Taking away my screen time at such times would be a net harm (yes, I know this for a fact).
Granted, I have at times had to make judgment calls about how I spend that time to make sure it's constructive and not a bad habit.
Screen time and tobacco smoking were also significantly associated with higher frequency of depressed mood.
And then goes on to say "We need to limit screen time" which is a baseless conclusion.
Smoking is known to mediate depression because of what it does to brain chemistry. One medication that gets prescribed to treat depression has such a strong track record of causing people to stop smoking as a side effect that it now gets prescribed for that purpose.
I will agree with commenters here objecting to the framing that "You need to reduce screen time as a means to treat depression." That assumption is unwarranted and not nuanced.
Screen time likely goes up when you are tired and sick. Being tired and sick can help foster depression.
The solution in a case like that is not "You need less screen time." It's "You need to get well and better rested."
When I'm sick and tired, I spend all my time on the computer and/or playing games on my phone to keep myself occupied so I don't go nuts. Taking away my screen time at such times would be a net harm (yes, I know this for a fact).
Granted, I have at times had to make judgment calls about how I spend that time to make sure it's constructive and not a bad habit.