BY Michael Nehme
Most nights, Luis Amorim finds himself negotiating with a screen.
His ten-year-old son, James, loves his tablet. What starts as “just 20 minutes” usually turns into hours of playing video games and watching videos. When Amorim asks him to turn it off, the answer is almost always “no.”
The battle begins.
“I’m concerned with it; it’s almost impossible to control,” he says. “They love it, these kids. It rewires the brain through stimulation and reward.”
Amorim’s situation is not unique to his household. Canada’s official 24-Hour Movement guidelines recommend no more than two hours of recreational screen time per day for children and youth.
In the most recent data from the 2024 ParticipACTION Report Card, roughly only 60 per cent of children aged 5-11 meet this recommendation and roughly only 28 per cent of youth aged 12-17 do.
At the same time, the same guidelines recommend at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily for youth. Following this guideline seems to be no easy task. Only about 52 per cent of children aged five to 11 and 21 per cent of youth aged 12 to 17 meet the 60-minute recommendation. For Amorim, the issue is not just physical, it’s social.
“He was always shy by nature, sometimes when he’s with other kids, he doesn’t know how to jump into the game,” he says. “It’s like he’s more comfortable in a digital world than a real one.”
Hockey player coming down on a breakaway. Photo by Michael Nehme.
Julie Raymond, a child psychologist of 30 years, confirms this. “Kids are more sedentary than ever […] since the pandemic, we notice children lack gross motor skills,” she says. Gross motor skills include walking, running and jumping for example.
Raymond believes society is not being weary enough about the detriment of screen time, calling it “a huge harm to brain development.”
Raymond mainly deals with children aged zero to six, and she motivates parents to prioritize exercise in general. She explains how that age range is less conducive to team sports because the brain is at an early stage of development. She says that from six years old onwards, team sports can prove to be extremely beneficial. “My son grew up playing football and it was a major part of him becoming who he is,” she says.
Amorim enrolled James in a local basketball league a few months ago. The first couple of sessions were a bit rocky. But after some time, something shifted.
“As he gets to know the kids better, he becomes more comfortable, and he’d definitely be more up to going to basketball the more he went,” Amorim says.
The many benefits of team sports on overall life. Infographic by Michael Nehme.
In her classroom at local pre-school CPE Les Bois-Verts, early childhood educator Maria Ventola often witnesses similar situations. With over 15 years of experience, Ventola has seen the evolution of the digital age’s effect on youth.
“They come in with these digital skills and are able to navigate devices faster than some of us [adults],” she says. “Technology can be very helpful as an educational tool, but if a child’s free time is screen time, they miss out on social connection and physical activity.”
Ventola and her colleagues like to incorporate structured group movement into their day, including games and team activities, usually during outdoor time.
“When we do physical activities and play in teams, quieter kids tend to engage more,” she says. “They cheer for each other and feel what it’s like to work together to overcome challenges, even if they’re just simple games.”
The 2024 iteration of the ParticipACTION report card features a school section and a grade. It received a B-, which was the same as in the 2022 iteration.
“We only see the kids 6-8 hours in a day,” says Ventola. “Their development outside of school is just as important, if not more.”
Nelson Ossé agrees with this message. Ossé is the director of Loisirs du Parc, a non profit organization based in Park-Extension that affords the less fortunate an opportunity to play sports.
“We take great pride in teaching kids the little things, like discipline and being on time,” says Ossé.
He also believes that sports provide valuable life lessons such as working with other people and developing leadership skills. In general, he feels that instilling little habits can snowball into bigger, positive development.
“Their [youth’s] biggest enemy is the screen,” says Ossé.
He recalls a road trip with one of his youth basketball teams a decade ago, saying that he could not get the kids to stop talking. Nowadays, in the same setting, he says he hears “crickets” as the screens shine in the backseats.
Online sports gambling is becoming more and more accessible. Young adults are getting wrapped up in this activity and are facing the consequences of addiction. Help is always available. Video by Michael Nehme.
For 21-year-old ex-junior hockey player Jacob Gonin, team sports didn’t just shape his childhood but also his identity. Gonin started skating when he was just four years old and quickly developed a passion for the sport of hockey.
Having practically grown up at the rink, Gonin has learned many lessons as a player and as a person. He has made lifelong friends and developed good habits that carry into his everyday reality.
He acknowledges the fact that screens are part of his daily life as he likes to stay connected with friends on social media and play video games from time to time. However, he says being at the rink offered something completely different.
“In a video game, if you mess up, nobody really sees, and you can just try again,” he says. “On the ice, you’re held accountable by your coaches and teammates.”
Gonin also believes that sports helped him develop an appreciation for physical health.
“After playing hockey three-four-five times per week, I became conditioned to exercise regularly. So even now that I only play once a week, I find other ways to keep active,” he says.
Youth hockey coach Nicholas Issa has been working with children and teenagers for a few years now.
“Too many parents think their kid is the next McDavid, it can be very tough on these young minds,” Issa says. “The pressure makes them dread coming to hockey when it should be the best part of their day. Instead, parents tell me the kids would rather stay at home playing the video game version of hockey, could you imagine?”
Minor hockey coach explains a hockey drill on a white board. By Michael Nehme.
For Issa, winning games is secondary.
“At this age, winning games is not as important. Our job as coaches is to teach life skills and develop young boys and girls as individuals,” he says. Issa mentions the idea of losing gracefully, supporting teammates through ups and downs and communication.
Issa designs his practices to foster teamwork and selflessness, where players must pass before scoring a goal. He tries to give each player an opportunity to shine. “We want to make these kids love exercise and socializing.”
He believes that laying the foundations of passion, exercise and teamwork will lead to winning in the future, both on and off the ice.
“I remember my [players under 13] always had their heads buried in their phones and were shy,” he says. “Once they got comfortable with each other and started playing, they were inseparable.”
Two teams show respect in the handshake line prior to hockey game. Photo by Michael Nehme.
Anorim does not plan to eliminate screens completely, saying, “It’s not realistic.”
Instead, he looks to limit screen time and encourage James to continue playing basketball and making new friends.
“It’s crucial to participate in sports, you get to know how to deal with conflict and personalities, make friends, and it helps lead a healthy lifestyle,” he says. “It’s all a part of having a balanced, healthy life.”
Educators, athletes and coaches seem to echo a similar message: team sports are important. While they admit that screens do have a place in the present day, they believe that team sports offer something more meaningful.
