Research consistently demonstrates that to support children’s and adolescents’ healthy development, it is important to limit screen time while simultaneously encouraging more green time. The studies in this section reveal that children with higher screen times are more likely to demonstrate poorer mental health and well-being, neurodevelopment, and connection with nature. Conversely, children and adolescents who spend more time in nature consistently show stronger development across these same areas.

Screen time and green time are linked to psychological well-being in contrasting ways

This review of 186 studies addresses the association between screen time, green time, and psychological outcomes in children and adolescents. High levels of screen time were associated with unfavorable outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress, poor self-regulation), and green time was associated with favorable outcomes (positive mental health, cognitive functioning, academic achievement). Some evidence indicates that green time could buffer negative consequences of high screen time.
Oswald et al., 2020. Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review.
Access Study

Promoting green time while reducing screen time can support children’s and adolescents’ mental health

A study conducted with 844 children and adolescents (age 5-19 years) in Switzerland revealed that higher screen times were significantly associated with increased mental health problems, while higher green times were significantly associated with reduced mental health problems. Females reported significantly lower levels of green time, but similar screen times, compared to males. The study highlights the importance of promoting time in nature while reducing screen time to support mental health.
Camerini, Albanese & Marciano, 2022. The impact of screen time and green time on mental health in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Access Study

Green time moderates negative mental health effects of screen time for college students

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 372 college students in the U.S. examined relationships between screen time, time in nature and perceived mental health. Results linked screen time to increased anxiety, depression and stress in college students, while green time was associated with lower stress and depression. Findings also demonstrate that more time in nature may reduce mental health issues associated with screen time.
Deyo, Wallace & Kidwell, 2024. Screen time and mental health in college students: Time in nature as a protective factor.
Access Study

Suboptimal neurodevelopment outcomes linked to higher screen time among young children may be mitigated by outdoor play

Research in Japan examined screen time, outdoor play habits and subsequent neurodevelopmental outcomes of 885 children (age 2-4 years). Findings revealed that two-year-olds with more than one hour a day of screen time had significantly lower scores for communication and daily living skills at age four. However, for children with higher screen times, outdoor play lessened some of the adverse effects associated with screen use.
Sugiyama et al., 2023. Outdoor play as a mitigating factor in the association between screen time for young children and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Access Study

Escalating screen time is having a negative influence on rural youths’ time outdoors and connectedness to nature

Over 500 sixth to eighth grade students in a rural area of the U.S. completed surveys that assessed time outdoors, screen time, and connection to nature (CTN). Outdoor time was significantly related to higher CTN and screen time to lower CTN. Overall, screen time increased and CTN decreased from sixth to eighth grade. Girls and African American youth were significantly more likely to have higher screen times and lower outdoor times and CTN.
Larson et al., 2019. Outdoor time, screen time, and connection to nature: Troubling trends among rural youth?
Access Study

For Canadian adolescents, as electronic media use increases, connection to nature decreases

A Canadian national study, which administered surveys to 24,000 youth (age 10-18) and interviewed 74 youth, found screen use may be linked to the decreasing importance of nature in the lives of young people, a theory referred to as the “displacement hypothesis.” Results showed that youth often prefer technology over being outdoors; screen technology tends to be addictive; and temporary disconnection from screen technology may lead to positive experiences with nature.
Michaelson et al., 2020. Electronic screen technology use and connection to nature in Canadian adolescents: A mixed methods study.
Access Study

Efforts to amplify nature in children’s lives might use outdoor, nature-rich experiences as interventions to help children shift away from screen-focused behaviors in their free time. We offer the following recommendations for actionable strategies to balance screen time with green time by increasing children’s engagement with and exposure to health-promoting natural environments. Additionally, our final recommendation addresses leveraging the use of technology to encourage and support time in nature.

RECOMMENDATION #1: Encourage frequent time in nature as an intervention to protect against unhealthy screen habits.

Exposure to nature may protect adolescents from developing Internet addiction

Questionnaires administered to 1,469 students (age 13-15 years) in China revealed that adolescents with more nature exposure were significantly less likely to exhibit Internet addiction than those with lower levels of nature exposure. Results also indicated that feelings of awe towards nature provide a pathway between nature exposure and reduced Internet addiction. Thus, awe-inspiring experiences in nature may be especially impactful in preventing or reducing Internet addiction.
Wang et al., 2024. Harnessing the power of nature exposure to mitigate adolescents’ Internet addiction: A chain mediation model.
Access Study

RECOMMENDATION #2: Use nature-immersion experiences such as outdoor adventure programs to provide time away from screen-dependent lifestyles.

Outdoor adventures may compensate for some negative mental health conditions associated with excessive screen time in adolescents

Seventy-six German adolescents (age 13-20) completed questionnaires before and after participating in a 10-day screen-free outdoor adventure program. Findings provide a strong argument for a wider use of outdoor adventure programs for health promotion, especially for adolescents who tend to spend a great deal of time involved with media consumption. Providing time away from adolescents’ “normal” (mediatized) lifestyle may compensate for the negative health impacts of screen time.
Mutz, Müller & Göring, 2019. Outdoor adventures and adolescents’ mental health: Daily screen time as a moderator of changes.
Access Study

RECOMMENDATION #3: Increase efforts to “green” schoolyards to protect against screen time’s adverse mental health impacts.

School greenspace may buffer against the detrimental effects of screen time for disadvantaged students

A study in China surveyed 22,868 middle and high school-aged adolescents to examine relationships between school greenspace, recreational screen time and mental health. For economically disadvantaged students with less than two hours of daily screen time, higher levels of school greenness were significantly related to decreased depressive symptoms. Along with limiting screen time, findings support schoolyard greening to diminish health equity disparities and strengthen adolescent mental health.
Liu et al., 2024. The association between green space around schools, screen time for entertainment, and adolescent depressive symptoms: A nationwide study from China.
Access Study

RECOMMENDATION #4: Increase children’s equitable access to greenspace to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in screen time.

Equitable access to greenspace is an important consideration for interventions aiming to reduce children’s screen time

A national U.S. study involving 4,598 children (age 4-15 years) investigated how greenspace access influences the effectiveness of community programs and policies designed to reduce racial and ethnic inequities in screen time. The study revealed that the benefits of screen time reduction programs and policies were only experienced by neighborhoods with high greenspace access. This suggests that greenspace access is a critical factor that may reduce inequities in childhood screen time.
Lang et al., 2024. Neighborhood environments underpin screen time intervention success in children: Evidence from a study of greenspace and community programming across 130 US communities.
Access Study

RECOMMENDATION #5: Parents and caretakers should limit their own screen time and spend more time in nature with their children to support healthy development.

Parental screen time in the presence of children may be a risk factor for child development problems, and time in nature may offer protective effects

A Research in Germany is examining the effects of their “Screen-free till 3” intervention. Preliminary analysis of baseline data on 4,021 infants (age 5-7 months) found that more parental screen time in the presence of their child was related to slower motor, language, and social-emotional development. Conversely, children whose parents did not use devices around them, as well as children who spent more time in nature, demonstrated stronger developmental patterns.
Schwarz et al., 2025. Screen time, nature, and development: Baseline of the randomized controlled study “Screen-free till 3.”
Access Study

RECOMMENDATION #6: Promote family engagement in nature-based activities to encourage healthy, screen-free family routines.

Family engagement in nature may reduce children’s screen time while counteracting the adverse outcomes associated with excessive screen use

A review of 23 studies, conducted in many countries, examined interactions between nature exposure, screen use and parent-child relations. Findings offer insight into the roles families play in shaping children’s (age 0-12 years) perceptions, experiences and routines around screen use and time in nature. The review also highlights the potential of family nature interventions to shift parental attitudes and support family cohesion while encouraging children’s healthy development through engagement in nature.
Torjinski, Cliff & Horwood, 2024. Associations between nature exposure, screen use, and parent-child relations: a scoping review.
Access Study

RECOMMENDATION #7: Embrace children’s screen-based and technology-driven lifestyles to facilitate their active engagement with the outdoors, generate interest in the natural world, and bolster connection with nature.

Children’s perspectives on the functions of nature-related digital tools may offer potential for enhancing interaction with nature

Approximately 20 children (age 12–14 years) in the Netherlands tested an existing nature-related digital app and then participated in a co-design workshop to develop prototypes of their ideal digital tool. Key tool functions preferred by children — such as increasing understanding of nature, social interactions, and accessibility to natural spaces — provide an indication of how technology can be used to motivate youth to spend more time in nature.
Yin et al., 2024. Co-designing an ideal nature-related digital tool with children: An exploratory study from the Netherlands.
Access Study

Children report that smartphones help them have positive outdoor experiences

Over 1,000 students (age 11-15) in Denmark participated in a study that examined how smartphones impact outdoor experiences. Findings revealed that children are highly dependent on their smartphones when outdoors. Results indicate that smartphones can enable positive outdoor experiences by increasing children’s and parents’ sense of security, supporting social interaction, and allowing children to shape time outdoors to reflect their preferences.
Nielsen & Arvidsen, 2021. Left to their own devices? A mixed methods study exploring the impacts of smartphone use on children’s outdoor experiences.
Access Study

An interest-centered design framework can be used to develop mobile technologies that support children’s interest in nature

Seven children (ages 7-12) in the U.S. participated in developing a mobile app that allows them to build, curate and share nature photo collections. Four design principles were used in developing the app: personal relevance, focused attention, social interactions and opportunities for continued engagement. Results showed that the app was effective in encouraging children’s directed attention to and close observation of nature in their surroundings.
Kawas et al., 2019. Sparking interest: A design framework for mobile technologies to promote children’s interest in nature.
Access Study

The use of iPads by kindergarten children accompanied and added to their active and creative outdoor play while also promoting nature connectedness

Twenty-seven educators in 14 kindergarten classrooms in Canada participated in a study that explored the use of digital technology (DT) in outdoor play. Findings indicate that DT added value and inspired creativity during child-led play. DT also promoted connections to nature by allowing children to document aspects of the natural environment, capture their personal interests in nature, and express their feelings about nature.
McGlynn-Stewart, Maguire & Mogyorodi, 2020. Taking it outside: Engaging in active, creative, outdoor play with digital technology.
Access Study