“Increased Screen Time among Children” Physical, Cognitive, and social Consequences –Guidelines and Recommendations

The emergence of digital technology has caused drastic change in how children live their lives. Although technology is being used to achieve many positive outcomes in the learning environment, there is public health concern associated with too much time in front of a screen. Studies have shown that extensive use of screens have numerous adverse effects such as health complications, intellectual retardation, emotional imbalances, and social challenges. This article discusses the complex role of an increased screen time in children and identifies its dangers as well as its possibilities. It is built on the basis of recent empirical research and international health suggestions to indicate the necessity of moderated use, parental monitoring, and patterned screen interaction to result in healthy development of children.

Screen time, Children, Digital media, Child development

1. Anderson M, Jiang J. Teens, social media & technology 2018. Pew Research Center. 2018 May 31. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Rideout V, Robb MB. The Common-Sense census: Media use by tweens and teens, 2021. Common Sense Media. 2021 Mar 24. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Nagata JM, Abdel-Maksoud MF, Winn AN, et al. Screen time changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health outcomes in adolescents. J Adolesc Health. 2023;72(2):315-324. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Hale L, Guan S. Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: A systematic literature review. Sleep Med Rev. 2015;21:50-58. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Hale L, Guan S. Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: A systematic literature review. Sleep Med Rev. 2015;21:50-58. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Carter B, Rees P, Hale L, et al. Association between portable screen-based media device access or use and sleep outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2016;170(12):1202-1208. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Twenge JM, Martin GN, Campbell WK. Decreases in psychological well-being among American adolescents after 2012 and links to screen time during the rise of smartphone technology. Emotion. 2018;18(6):765-780. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Poitras VJ, Gray CE, Borghese MM, et al. Systematic review of the relationships between objectively measured physical activity and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016;41(6 Suppl 3):S197-S239. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Biddle SJ, García Bengoechea E, Wiesner G. Sedentary behaviour and adiposity in youth: A systematic review of reviews and analysis of causality. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017;14(1):43. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Pearson N, Braithwaite RE, Biddle SJ, et al. Associations between sedentary behaviour and physical activity in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2014;15(8):666-675. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Moore SA, Faulkner G, Rhodes RE, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 virus outbreak on movement and play behaviours of Canadian children and youth: A national survey. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2020;17(1):85. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-020-00987-8 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Zhang J, Seo DC, Kolbe L, et al. Association between physical activity and teacher-reported academic performance among fifth-graders. Am J Health Behav. 2011;35(6):704-715. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Falbe J, Davison KK, Franckle RL, et al. Sleep duration, restfulness, and screens in the sleep environment. Pediatrics. 2015;135(2):e367-e375. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Sheppard AL, Wolffsohn JS. Digital eye strain: Prevalence, measurement and amelioration. BMJ Open Ophthalmol. 2018;3(1):e000146. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Huang HM, Chang DS, Wu PC. The association between near work activities and myopia in children—A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2015;10(10):e0140419. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Xie Y, Szeto GP, Dai J, et al. A comparison of muscle activity in using touchscreen smartphone among young people with and without chronic neck-shoulder pain. Ergonomics. 2016;59(1):61-72. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Christakis DA, Zimmerman FJ, DiGiuseppe DL, et al. Early television exposure and subsequent attentional problems in children. Pediatrics. 2004;113(4):708-713. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Lillard AS, Peterson J. The immediate impact of different types of television on young children's executive function. Pediatrics. 2011;128(4):644-649. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Linebarger DL, Walker D. Infants' and toddlers' television viewing and language outcomes. Am Behav Sci. 2005;48(5):624-645. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Zimmerman FJ, Christakis DA, Meltzoff AN. Associations between media viewing and language development in children under age 2 years. J Pediatr. 2007;151(4):364-368. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Strouse GA, O'Doherty K, Troseth GL. Effective coviewing: Preschoolers' learning from video after a dialogic questioning intervention. Dev Psychol. 2013;49(12):2368-2382. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Adelantado-Renau M, Moliner-Urdiales D, Cavero-Redondo I, et al. Association between screen media use and academic performance among children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(11):1058-1067. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Jackson LA, von Eye A, Witt EA, et al. A longitudinal study of the effects of Internet use and videogame playing on academic performance and the roles of gender, race and income in these relationships. Comput Human Behav. 2011;27(1):228-239. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Sparrow B, Liu J, Wegner DM. Google effects on memory: Cognitive consequences of having information at our fingertips. Science. 2011;333(6043):776-778. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Rosen LD, Carrier LM, Cheever NA. Facebook and texting made me do it: Media-induced task-switching while studying. Comput Human Behav. 2013;29(3):948-958. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Diekelmann S, Born J. The memory function of sleep. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2010;11(2):114-126. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Uhls YT, Michikyan M, Morris J, et al. Five days at outdoor education camp without screens improves preteen skills with nonverbal emotion cues. Comput Human Behav. 2014;39:387-392. DOI:10.1016/j.chb.2014.05.036 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Uhls YT, Michikyan M, Morris J, et al. Five days at outdoor education camp without screens improves preteen skills with nonverbal emotion cues. Comput Human Behav. 2014;39:387-392. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Twenge JM, Campbell WK. Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Prev Med. 2018;112:271-283. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Nesi J, Choukas-Bradley S, Prinstein MJ. Transformation of adolescent peer relations in the social media context: Part 1—A theoretical framework and application to dyadic peer relationships. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2018;21(3):267-294. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Anderson CA, Bushman BJ. Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: A meta-analytic review of the scientific literature. Psychol Sci. 2001;12(5):353-359. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Mischel W, Shoda Y, Rodriguez MI. Delay of gratification in children. Science. 1989;244(4907):933-938. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Gentile DA, Swing EL, Lim CG, et al. Video game playing, attention problems, and impulsiveness: Evidence of bidirectional causality. Psychol Popular Media Culture. 2012;1(1):62-70. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Kirkorian HL, Wartella EA, Anderson DR. Media and young children's learning. Future Child. 2008;18(1):39-61. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Lauricella AR, Gola AA, Calvert SL. Toddlers' learning from socially meaningful video characters. Media Psychol. 2011;14(2):216-232. doi: 10.1080/15213269.2011.573465 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Courage ML, Howe ML. To watch or not to watch: Infants and toddlers in a brave new electronic world. Dev Rev. 2010;30(2):101-115. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Vandewater EA, Rideout VJ, Wartella EA, et al. Digital childhood: Electronic media and technology use among infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Pediatrics. 2007;119(5):e1006-e1015. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Reiser RA, Tessmer MA, Phelps PC. Adult-child interaction patterns in educational computer software. Educ Technol Res Dev. 1984;32(2):79-87. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Takeuchi L, Stevens R. The new coviewing: Designing for learning through joint media engagement. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop; 2011. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Livingstone S, Helsper EJ. Parental mediation of children's internet use. J Broadcast Electron Media. 2008;52(4):581-599. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Mazurek MO, Wenstrup C. Television, video game and social media use among children with ASD and typically developing siblings. J Autism Dev Disord. 2013;43(6):1258-1271. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Kagohara DM, van der Meer L, Ramdoss S, et al. Using iPods® and iPads® in teaching programs for individuals with developmental disabilities: A systematic review. Res Dev Disabil. 2013;34(1):147-156. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Hinkley T, Salmon J, Okely AD, et al. Preschoolers' physical activity, screen time, and compliance with recommendations. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012;44(3):458-465. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. Wartella E, Rideout V, Lauricella AR, et al. Revised: Parenting in the age of digital technology. Center on Media and Human Development School of Communication Northwestern University. 2014. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Calvert SL, Rideout VJ, Woolard JL, et al. Age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic patterns in early computer use: A national survey. Am Behav Sci. 2005;48(5):590-607. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. Lauricella AR, Wartella E, Rideout VJ. Young children's screen time: The complex role of parent and child factors. J Appl Dev Psychol. 2015;36:11-17. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. Cheung CH, Bedford R, Saez De Urabain IR, et al. Daily touchscreen use in infants and toddlers is associated with reduced sleep and delayed sleep onset. Sci Rep. 2017;7:46104. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. American Academy of Pediatrics. Media and young minds. Pediatrics. 2016;138(5):e20162591. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. World Health Organization. Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

50. Radesky JS, Christakis DA. Increased screen time: Implications for early childhood development and behavior. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2016;63(5):827-839. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

51. Rideout V, Lauricella AR, Wartella E. Children, media, and race: Media use among white, black, Hispanic, and Asian American children. Center on Media and Human Development Northwestern University. 2011. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

52. Wartella E, Rideout V, Lauricella AR, et al. Revised: Parenting in the age of digital technology. Center on Media and Human Development School of Communication Northwestern University. 2014. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

53. Goh SN, Teh LH, Tay WR, et al. Sociodemographic, home environment and parental influences on total and device-specific screen time in children aged 2 years and below. BMJ Open. 2016;6(1):e009113. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

54. Domoff SE, Borgen AL, Foley RP, et al. Excessive screen time and psychosocial well-being among early adolescents. Prev Med. 2019;131:105967. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

55. Przybylski AK, Weinstein N. A large-scale test of the goldilocks hypothesis: Quantifying the relations between digital-screen use and the mental well-being of adolescents. Psychol Sci. 2017;28(2):204-215. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

56. Gentile DA, Reimer RA, Nathanson AI, et al. Protective effects of parental monitoring of children's media use: A prospective study. JAMA Pediatr. 2014;168(5):479-484. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

57. Ribble M. Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education; 2015. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

58. Carter SP, Greenberg K, Walker MS. The impact of computer usage on academic performance: Evidence from a randomized trial at the United States Military Academy. Econ Educ Rev. 2017;56:118-132. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

59. Zheng B, Warschauer M, Lin CH, et al. Learning in one-to-one laptop environments: A meta-analysis and research synthesis. Rev Educ Res. 2014;84(4):558-602. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

60. Plowman L, Stevenson O, Stephen C, et al. Preschool children's learning with technology at home. Comput Educ. 2012;59(1):30-37. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

61. Mascheroni G, Ponte C, Jorge A. Digital parenting: The challenges for families in the digital age. Göteborg: Nordicom; 2018. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
• Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
• Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
• The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
• Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar