The hidden costs of children’s excessive use of screen media

New study highlights how Indian children are outperforming the world Screen time guidecan have lasting effects on health and cognitive abilitiesMultiple screens have become an integral part of children’s lives. But is it safe for young teens to spend so much time on screens? Existing findings suggest that while devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets and televisions can aid learning, their overuse can lead to adverse health and developmental outcomes.A recent study* published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry examined children and adolescents with mental disorders to assess their screen usage habits. The findings are shocking: the average screen time is 3.1 hours per day. Importantly, two-thirds of the 212 study participants (average age 13 years) exceeded recommended screen time limits set by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The guidelines recommend no screen time for children under two years old (except for video calls), no more than one hour of screen time per day for children aged two to four years old, and no more than two hours of screen time per day for children five years and older.

The study showed that among the 212 children and teenagers who participated in the study, television (66%) and mobile phones (70.3%) were the most commonly used devices. Alarmingly, according to the DSM-5 Internet Gaming Disorder criteria, 22.2% of children meet criteria for screen media addiction. DSM-5 is the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a guide used by researchers to diagnose, classify, and treat mental health disorders.Addiction is more common among boys, boys in joint or extended families, and children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental or disruptive disorders.Excessive screen use can lead to obesity, sedentary behavior, poor eating habits and disrupted sleep. Cognitively, prolonged exposure can impair language development, executive functioning, and emerging literacy skills. Research has even shown that preschoolers who are frequently exposed to screens experience changes in brain structure, specifically affecting white matter tracts (which serve as the brain’s communication network) that are critical for learning and communication.Psychologically, children who are addicted to screen media often exhibit deception (sneaking or lying about using a device), preoccupation, withdrawal symptoms, and intrafamily conflict. Screen use can also interfere with friendships and family activities while increasing the likelihood of cyberbullying, unsafe online content and negative emotional states.The study highlights the urgent need for parental awareness and supervision. Parents often allow their children with neurodevelopmental disorders to have extra screen time as a coping mechanism, but this can lead to more problems. In a joint family setting, inconsistent parenting rules may further exacerbate this problem.In summary, screen media use by children is not inherently harmful, but excessive and unregulated use can pose significant risks to physical health, cognitive development, and emotional well-being. With nearly a quarter of children receiving psychiatric care showing signs of addiction, routine assessment of screen habits and strict adherence to recommended guidelines are important steps to protect the next generation.(*Problems in the use of screen media among children and adolescents attending child and adolescent psychiatric services in tertiary care centers in northern India, by Venkatesh Raju, Akhilesh Sharma, Ruchita Shah, Ravikanth Tangella, Sana Devi Yumnam, Jyoti Singh, Jaivinder Yadav and Sandeep Grover)