Excessive digital entertainment inhibits children’s creativity, warns clinical psychologist

A 2019 pediatric study in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics reveals a link between social media use and decreased creativity in youth, linking it to low academic performance and decreased concentration.

Clinical psychologist Stephanie Lee highlights the crucial role that boredom plays in fostering creativity among children and teenagers. Lee, who specializes in optimizing education and mental health for young people, argues that excessive digital entertainment robs children of the boredom essential to generating their ideas and stifles imagination.

This study aligns with a growing body of research showing social media’s detrimental impact on teen mental health, including a 2021 study indicating deficits in problem-solving and resilience among teens addicted to social media.

Lee suggests that various forms of entertainment, such as watching documentaries or attending concerts, can stimulate creativity and encourage children to independently generate ideas.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell