[tsimionescu]

If that study is to be believed, a child catching pokemon on their phone in the park is likely to develop better eye sight than a child reading a book at home. So I think the difference is pretty relevant, and the fact that outdoor activity is out-competed by screens would just be a confounding factor.

[im3w1l]

Of course, books are a thing, but we all know that without access to screens kids would get bored out of their minds staying indoors. Indeed, that is the premise of the grounding punishment.

So a hypothetical of a boy reading books until Pokemon Go made him spend every second outside just seem like arguing for the sake of arguing.

[tsimionescu]

That was not my hypothetical.

My point is that the recommendation to parents should be to get their kids outside, not to get their kids away from screens (IF that study is to be believed!).

If parents are keeping their kids away from screens but still inside, there may be no real benefits. And there are plenty of ways for kids to entertain themselves inside even without a screen, especially for younger kids.