Screen Time vs. Green Time Campaign

About the Campaign

We have seen a dramatic shift in the way children spend their time, with less time playing outside and more time spent indoors, sedentary and screen-based. Excessive screen time is having negative health impacts on Canadian children.

• 87% of pre-school children and 85% of school-aged children do not meet the guidelines for adequate sleep, physical activity and screen time;
• Students in grades 7 to 12 are spending up to 7 hours a day on screens, more than three and a half times the recommended limit of 2 hours per day;
• Higher duration of screen time was linked with poorer behavioural conduct and lower self-esteem;
• Time spent in nature and being active outdoors is beneficial to children’s health and overall well being, and helps improve their resiliency, academic performance and social skills; and
• With less time spent outside in nature, children are losing opportunities to learn, explore, discover and understand our natural environment.

Learn more about the health impacts of too much screen time and the benefits of time in nature. Read the blog →