PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Is too much screen time bad for people?

It’s a common question, but not a good one, according to Brown University Professor of Economics Emily Oster, who is also the creator of the platform ParentData, through which she applies insights from her research to questions about parenting. 

Instead, Oster suggests analyzing screen time in the context of opportunity cost.

“It is not appropriate to think about screen time as good or bad,” she said. “Every activity that we do effectively has an opportunity cost of time because we’re not doing something else. Your time has value.”

Oster’s tips for limiting screen time — for children and adults alike — include setting specific boundaries for the use of digital devices in advance and then creating a plan for following through.

If that doesn’t work, apps that limit screen time can be helpful, she said.

“When you or your kid is involved with the screen, they’re not doing something else,” Oster said. “And it may be that your time is better spent on something else.”