Leisure Time Use and Adolescent Mental Well-Being: Insights from the COVID-19 Czech Spring Lockdown

Background: As leisure—one of the crucial life domains—was completely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, our study aimed to investigate how adolescents spent their leisure time during the Spring 2020 lockdown. Secondly, we aimed to investigate the associations between the perceived changes in leisure time use, the leisure activities adolescents engaged in, and the associations with well-being during the Spring 2020 lockdown in Czechia. Methods: Data from 3438 participants were included in this study (54.2% girls; mean age = 13.45, SD = 1.62). First, the initial number of items measuring leisure, electronic media use, and sports was reduced through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Multivariate linear regression models tested the associations between leisure domains and mental well-being Results: The amount of leisure time, together with socially active leisure and sports and physical activity, formed the strongest positive predictors of mental well-being, whereas idle activities and time spent on electronic media acted as negative predictors. The amount of time spent doing schoolwork was unrelated to mental well-being. Conclusions: Overall, our results support the idea that leisure as a promoting factor for well-being is not just a matter of its amount but rather of engagement in meaningful and fulfilling activities.

Daily Evening Electronic Media Use and Sleep in Later Life

Sleep complaints and disorders are one of the most common disturbances to health and well-being in later life. Evening electronic media use has been shown to influence the subsequent quantity and quality of sleep, but most research focused on younger age groups who are more likely to use new media (e.g., social media) to replace or complement traditional mass media such as television. To investigate how different types of evening media use is related to sleep in later life, we used ecological momentary assessment data from the Daily Experiences and Well-being Study (N = 231; Mage = 73.61) to examine how evening computer use and television viewing affect subsequent sleep hours and perceived sleep quality. Across all evening assessments, 43% of the evenings were spent using computers, and 80% of the evenings were spent watching television. Findings from a series of within-between random effects models indicated that evening computer use and television viewing had independent associations with sleep quantity and quality. That is, older adults reported fewer hours of sleep, more difficulty falling asleep, and worse overall sleep quality on nights following the evening computer use. In contrast, evening television viewing was associated with feeling less tired the next day morning. The results highlight the continued presence of television viewing in older adults’ daily lives and their distinction from general computer use. The social context in which older adults watch television in the evening may potentially explain how different electronic media use influences sleep in later life.

Millennial and gen Z perspective towards eco-office campaign implementation in public sector

This study explains millennial and Gen-Z attitudes, perspectives, and behaviors in implementing the eco-office concept. As a qualitative method study, the study uses primary data through semi-structured interviews and secondary data collected from reports, public/private publications, and census results, using the Yin case study model as data analysis. The study results reveal that the biggest challenge in implementing new policies is self-thinking. Leaders, as change agents, play an essential role in penetrating messages that make them act pro-environment. The reward system will be very effective, especially providing satisfaction for self-actualization. The findings of this study have implications for policymakers as input. For example, the results show that social media plays a crucial role in increasing environmental awareness. In addition, simple shifts such as electronic media use at work will cut the file chain, making it more effective and favored by young people. They understand the consequences of their actions on the environment and have the education, motivation, and social awareness to participate in the green movement. However, beliefs and actions are not fully integrated, and investigating and understanding their behavior and unique needs in the workplace will lead employees to integrate and succeed together to support the environment.

Adolescent time use and mental health: a cross-sectional, compositional analysis in the Millennium Cohort Study

ObjectiveTo examine the association of 24-hour time-use compositions with mental health in a large, geographically diverse sample of UK adolescents.DesignCross-sectional, secondary data analysis.SettingMillennium Cohort Study (sixth survey), a UK-based prospective birth cohort.ParticipantsData were available from 4642 adolescents aged 14 years. Analytical samples for weekday and weekend analyses were n=3485 and n=3468, respectively (45% boys, 85% white ethnicity).Primary and secondary outcome measuresPrimary outcome measures were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, socioemotional behaviour), Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ, depressive symptoms) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE, self-esteem). Behavioural exposure data were derived from 24-hour time-use diaries.ResultsOn weekdays, participants spent approximately 54% of their time in sleep, 3% in physical activity, 9% in school-related activities, 6% in hobbies, 11% using electronic media and 16% in domestic activities. Predicted differences in SDQ, MFQ and RSE were statistically significant for all models (weekday and weekend) that simulated the addition or removal of 15 min physical activity, with an increase in activity being associated with improved mental health and vice versa. Predicted differences in RSE were also significant for simulated changes in electronic media use; an increase in electronic media use was associated with reduced self-esteem.ConclusionSmall but consistent associations were observed between physical activity, electronic media use and selected markers of mental health. Findings support the delivery of physical activity interventions to promote mental health during adolescence, without the need to specifically target or protect time spent in other activities.

Electronic media use and sleep in children and adolescents in western countries: a systematic review

Background Sleep is essential for child and adolescent health and well-being. There is an increasing interest in whether electronic media use affects children and young adolescents’ sleep. Prior reviews have focused on a school-aged population. Moreover, it is crucial that research continuously addresses the processes of technology and media use and the implication on sleep. This systematic review examines the evidence of electronic media use related to sleep among 0–15-year-olds. Methods Searches were carried out in four databases (CINAHL, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Medline). Inclusion criteria included age ≤ 15 years, and intervention, cohort, or cross-sectional studies from western countries. Methodological quality was rated using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies by two independent reviewers. Data was extracted using a standardized data extraction form. Synthesis was done by summarizing results across studies by age groups of 0–5, 6–12, and 13–15 years within four sleep domains: Bedtime and sleep onset; Sleep quality; Sleep duration; Daytime tiredness. Results The search identified 10,719 unique studies, of which 109 fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria and were assessed for methodological quality. In total, 49 studies were included in the review. The study designs were randomized controlled trials (n = 3), quasi-experimental studies (n = 2), prospective cohort studies (n = 15), and cross-sectional studies (n = 29). Evidence for an association between electronic media use and sleep duration was identified, with stronger evidence for 6–15-years-olds than 0–5-year-olds. The evidence for a relationship between electronic media use and other sleep outcomes was more inconclusive. However, for 6–12-year-old children, there was evidence for associations of electronic media use with delayed bedtime and poor sleep quality. For 13–15-year-olds, there was evidence for associations between screen time and problems falling asleep, and between social media use and poor sleep quality. Conclusions Overall, electronic media use was generally associated with shorter sleep duration in children and adolescents. Studies with stronger research design and of higher quality are needed to draw solid conclusions about electronic media’s impact on other sleep outcomes. Public awareness and interventions could be promoted about the potential negative impact on children’s sleep of electronic media devices that are used excessively and close to bedtime.

Electronic Media Use and Sleep Disorders among Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background. One of the negative impacts of electronic media use is the occurrence of sleep disturbances. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of electronic media in families, including in adolescents, has been increasing. Objective. This study was aimed at describing the association between electronic media use and sleep disturbances in adolescents in Palembang. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in January to February 2021. Participants were 14–17-year-old high school students who completed a questionnaire to assess electronic media use and a Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) questionnaire to assess sleep disturbances. Results. One hundred and fifty-seven participants enrolled in this study. The majority of the participants were 16 years old or older (56.7%) and used smartphones (93%) with a median of media use of 10 hours a day. None of the participants’ characteristic variables showed statistically significant correlations. Similarly, none of the electronic media use variables showed statistically significant correlations. Conclusion. Most of adolescents in this study have used electronic media for more than 6 years, with median use of 10 hours per day, for noneducative purposes. Despite findings that most of them experience sleep disturbances, there was no statistically significant association between electronic media use and sleep disturbances in adolescents.

Electronic media use and symptoms of depression among adolescents in Norway

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the association between electronic media use, including use of social media and gaming, and symptoms of depression, and whether gender or having friends moderated these associations. Methods This study was based on self-reported cross-sectional data from the Ungdata survey, conducted in 2018 by the Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) Institute in cooperation with seven regional drug and alcohol competence centres. The target group comprised 12,353 15–16 years old adolescents. Binominal logistic regression was used to analyse the association between electronic media use and symptoms of depression. Results The odds of having symptoms of depression were higher for those who used social media more than 3 hours per day (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.43–1.80), compared to those who used social media 3 hours or less per day. Additionally, the odds of having symptoms of depression was higher for those who used more than 3 hours on gaming per day (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.36–1.80), compared to those who used 3 hours and less on gaming per day after adjustment for potential confounders. There were no interaction effects between social media and gaming use with symptoms of depression. Neither were the associations between social media use and gaming with symptoms of depression moderated by gender or having friends. Conclusions The odds of having symptoms of depression were significantly higher for adolescents with a more frequent use of electronic media.

Electronic Media Use and Sleep in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Background In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in whether the use of electronic media affects children and young adolescents' sleep. We performed a systematic review of the association between electronic media use and sleep outcomes among 0-15-year-olds.Methods Searches were carried out in four databases (CINAHL, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Medline). Additional studies were identified by hand-searching reference lists of retrieved systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Inclusion criteria were age range from 0 to 15.9 years, in English, and intervention studies, cohort studies, and cross-sectional studies from western countries. Qualitative studies were excluded due to a low number of identified studies. Exclusion criteria were study populations with psychiatric diagnoses, obesity, or any sleep disorder. Results The search identified 10,719 unique studies, of which 108 fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were assessed for methodological quality. In total, 49 studies were included in the review. The study designs were randomized controlled trials (n=3), quasi-experimental studies (n=two), prospective cohort studies (n=15), and cross-sectional studies (n=29). Evidence for an association between electronic media use and sleep duration was identified; particularly excessive electronic media use and bedtime use. The evidence was stronger for 6-15-years-olds than 0-5-year-olds. The relationship between electronic media use and other sleep outcomes was more inconclusive. Conclusions Overall, electronic media use was generally associated with shorter sleep duration in children and adolescents aged 0-15. Studies with stronger research design and of higher quality are needed to draw solid conclusions about electronic media’s impact on sleep outcomes and gain better understands of the mechanisms behind the associations. Public awareness and interventions could be promoted about the potential negative impact on children's sleep duration of electronic media devices that are used excessively and close to bedtime.

Rural Development and Communication

The aim of this paper is to investigate the level of communication that has contributed for India’s rural development. The other reason is to check the success and malfunction of the different tools of communication in the rural development journey where many are fighting and stressing on improving the quality of rural life. In this article we will analyze some communication projects which are for rural development. Also we will discuss about the post liberalization impact on media for rural and urban development. This paper will trace the history of print and electronic media use for rural development. Initially it defines the kind of different activities initiated by government and non-government organizations that are in use as a part of developmental practice. It also investigates about some of the issues that implementation of rural development programs have been affected with and argues that different tools of mass media could overcome some of the flaws in implementation. The analysis will also focus on the positive impact of media privatization on urban development and how it turned public and private broadcasting in favour of entertainment and consumerism. Besides, this will also investigate about different communication policies which are practically in favour of rural development but remain urban affluent. The research undertaken is qualitative.