According to research, every hour a child spends playing video games increases their risk of OCD by 13%.

According to one study, every hour a child spends playing video games increases their risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) by 13 percent.

There was also a correlation between watching YouTube content and OCD – every hour spent streaming video was associated with an 11 percent increased risk.

Too much screen time in childhood can cause everything from eating disorders to mental health issues and gambling addiction in the next life

Still, unlike other studies, recent research has found no relationship between watching movies or movies and playing on cell phones. Researchers blamed YouTube algorithms and addictive video game content for fueling compulsive emotions in teens.

For every hour a child spends playing video games or streaming video, the risk of obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD increases by more than 10 percent (file photo)

Scientists at the University of California at San Francisco recruited 9,204 children ages nine to 10.

At the start of the study, each was asked how long they spent playing games and watching TV.

Two years later, their parents or guardians were called back and asked if their child had been diagnosed with OCD or showed symptoms appropriate to the condition.

The researchers found that teens spend an average of three hours and 54 minutes looking at screens each day.

This does not include time spent on devices for educational purposes in schools.

It was revealed that 405 children (4.4 percent) were diagnosed with OCD during the follow-up.

The analysis showed that children who spent a longer time playing or streaming video games were more likely to receive a diagnosis.

Texting, video chat and time spent on social media were not linked to a higher risk, but the scientists cautioned that this may be due to the fact that young people in this age group don’t use them as often. The results may be different in older teens, the researchers said.

Pediatrician from the University of California, San Francisco, who conducted the research, Dr. .

“Kids who spend a lot of time playing video games report that they feel the need to play more and more and can’t stop, despite trying.

Intrusive thoughts about video game content can turn into obsessions or compulsions.

“Screen addictions are associated with compulsion and loss of behavioral control, which are the core symptoms of OCD.”

The researchers suggested that to reduce the risks associated with screen time, families should have a “media plan” in which they set rules and boundaries.

“While screen time can provide significant benefits such as education and increased socialization, parents should be especially aware of the potential risks to mental health,” Nagata said in a press release.

“Families can develop a media use plan that can include screen-free times, including before bed.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that children spend no more than one to two hours in front of screens each day.

But current estimates show that under-18s spend four hours and six minutes a day playing video games, watching television and social media; That’s an hour and 20 minutes longer than before the Covid pandemic.

OCD is a mental health condition that affects approximately 2.5 million American adults, normally diagnosed before they turn 18.

Symptoms include having recurring unwanted or unpleasant thoughts.

Those with the condition may develop compulsive behaviors — a physical act or a mental thing — that they do over and over to get rid of obsessive thoughts.

Patients are diagnosed after a thorough mental health assessment by doctors. Treatment includes behavioral therapy and medication.

Research published Journal of Adolescent Health.