Inaugural scientific conference of the Swedish Gaming and Screen Health Research Network

Children and adolescents are spending increasingly more time in front of screens, keeping busy with a growing network of inter-connected digital activities -- social media, gaming, shopping, etc.

These screen habits have in turn been speculated to contribute to the seemingly increasing prevalence of mental health problems among children and adolescents, through both direct and indirect negative consequences.

The ongoing and fast development of the digital landscape creates a striking need for what is thus far limited research on this topic; at the same time, the near-future implementation of the new ICD diagnosis of gaming disorder creates a need for evidence-based policy, requiring new collaborations between healthcare, academia and other stakeholders.

The Swedish Gaming and Screen Health Research Network (SGSHRN) is a relatively new network for Swedish researchers on the topic of screen health, which is now seeking funding for an inaugural scientific conference -- the first of its kind in Sweden, to our knowledge.

This cost-free conference, spread out over two half-days and with a preliminary speaker list, is meant to gather leading researchers in Sweden, foreign keynote speakers, and other stakeholders, in order to act as a catalyst for new collaborations, in addition to presenting new research. The conference will therefore likely result in great system-level effects, even long-term.