In this modern era, technology has become a vital part not only of adults’ lives but also of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children. Nowadays, every home has digital devices such as tablets, smartphones, TVs, digital toys, and computers.
With the widespread use of technology, it has become increasingly common for parents to introduce mobile devices and other smart gadgets to young children during early infancy. Sometimes, caregivers and parents use media and other devices as calming tools and education tools for children.
While screens offer learning, entertainment, and communication, excessive screen time can displace physical activity, potentially impacting health and well-being.
There is a growing concern that screen time diminishes the quantity and quality of interactions between children and their parents, resulting in fewer chances for the child to practice and develop their language abilities.
Explore the information below to learn about age-appropriate screen time recommendations, the impact of excessive screen use on children’s cognitive development, physical health, and socio-emotional well-being, and the tips paediatricians provide to promote healthy screen habits.
Introduction to screen time trends
Screen time refers to the time spent (duration) by any individual, especially children under 6 years, engaging with electronic devices like screens like TVs, tablets, laptops or PCs, smartphones, and computers.
Usage of screens has significantly risen over the past decade, becoming a dominant part of modern life, particularly among teenagers and young adults, who spend a large portion of their waking hours interacting with screens.
Globally, individuals spend an average of 6 hours and 40 minutes looking at screens every day. Additionally, the average daily screen time of children is drastically rising with age, whereas in the past 2 decades, children’s media usage time increased by 32%.
Kids between 0 and 8 years use screens for about an average of two and a half hours. As per a national survey, it was revealed that in media-centric parenting, the average screen time for kids is 4.30 hours a day, describing the relationship between media-centric parenting and screen time in kids as directly proportional.
Why should we limit screen time?
Many babies are often introduced to a media device before 12 months of age, and often 2-year-old toddlers can easily control the touchscreen technology device.
But the truth is the early years of childhood are really important for acquiring language skills and developing various aspects of language, including vocabulary and phonology, which can be acquired more by human interactions.
Children younger than 2 don’t learn from screens, but they do from live interactions, such as from exploring the world around them and playing with other children and adults, and they cannot understand what they’re viewing on screens unless it’s explained by an adult. Impatience in real-world interactions is one of the biggest negative results of using the screen excessively.
Not only kids under 2, but young children cannot learn anything well from screens but learn better from a person who is with them face-to-face than a person on an electronic device. As kids get older, they are able to learn meaningful information from the screen.
Effects on cognitive development
Overall, prolonged exposure to technology and media content during early infancy impacts their health and development, reducing their focus, sleep, attention span, physical activity, language development, communication, and socio-emotional health and causing behavioural challenges, showing the correlation between screen time usage and development.
As per the researchers, it was concluded that excessive screen time leads to developmental delays, and toddlers who see screens daily are more likely to experience speech delays.
Various behavioral problems, such as attention problems and aggressive behavior, and health problems, including obesity and sleep, are associated with technology usage in early childhood.
Children aged 12 to 24 months who spend 2 hours daily in front of a screen are up to 6 times more likely to experience language delays.
Watching a background TV had very negative effects on infants and their language development.
Despite some negative effects, screen time can have benefits too. Around 17 months of age, children may develop a better understanding of the world when engaging with educational content—especially when an adult is present to guide and support vocabulary development.
Some parents view creativity, learning, and social skills as important motivating factors for child screen use.
Effects on physical health
Excessive usage of screens can lead to motion sickness caused by exposure to virtual environments and cybersickness. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, and disorientation, negatively impacting the physical and mental health of the child.
Children can easily spend excessive time sitting for a prolonged time while engaging with screens, leading to a lack of physical activity and increasing the risk of obesity.
Another emerging concern is the risk of developing myopia (near-sightedness—an eye condition where a close object looks clear but far objects look blurry) related to spending more time on screens and less time outdoors.
It also impacts physical health, resulting in poor posture, neck and eye strain, shoulder pain, vision problems, and disrupted sleep patterns, and contributes to cardiovascular risks.
Studies have consistently shown that screen time before bedtime is more strongly linked to sleep problems in children than issues related to physical activity or weight gain.
The nature and volume of screen time, rather than the content, alter sleep patterns. Shorter nighttime sleep, less sleep, late bedtimes, and delayed sleep onset can be seen in kids due to excessive screen time impacting child development.
Prolonged screen time, especially social media use, has been associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, including functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Control of screen time, emotional support, and parental guidance can aid children in navigating social media safely and reduce the risk of developing FGIDs.
According to the many research articles, it was concluded that there is a high prevalence of social media use, a raised incidence of psychological disorders including depression and anxiety, and decreased quality of life in children with FGIDs.
Impact on social and emotional health
Heavy reliance on screens has not only raised linguistic, cognitive, and other health issues in kids but also negatively impacts their social-emotional growth, leading to difficulties in social interaction, emotional regulation, and mental well-being.
Excessive screen time has been associated with a raised risk of obesity, reduced physical activity, and sleep disturbances, and there is evidence linking screen overuse to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, lower quality of life, and behavioral problems.
It can obstruct the ability to fuel aggressive conduct, interpret emotions, and harm one’s psychological health in general.
It is possible to reduce the negative impacts of excessive screen time and promote children’s healthy development and overall well-being by encouraging alternative activities that stimulate development and increase knowledge.
Research is going on to understand both the potential benefits of screens (if they can be used for teaching purposes) and the potential mental and physical health drawbacks.
Recommended screen time by age
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend the following screen time by age:
- Younger than 18 months: No screen time other than video chatting
- 18–24 months: It is recommended to give high-quality educational media with parental engagement.
- 2- to 5-year-old kids: Not more than 1 hour per day
- Age 5 years and older: Not more than 2 hours per day, while engaging in conversation with a parent or family member about what is being viewed.
- Pre-teens and teenagers: Limit recreational screen time to no more than two hours per day, excluding screen time for schoolwork or other educational purposes. Instead of screens, encourage them to spend quality time, such as playing a ball game, doing yard work, riding a bike, dancing to some music, or taking the dog for a walk.
Pediatricians tips for healthy usage
Many healthcare professionals and researchers suggest that parents should focus screen time reduction efforts on video games and TV for their negative impact on academic performance and potential health risks.
Be aware of the content of what kids are engaging with more and prioritize educational, age-appropriate, and interactive programming. Be present and engaged when kids’ screens are used, and whenever possible, co-viewing with children encourages digital media literacy and creative activities such as drawing over passive viewing.
Avoid solo media use and screens for at least 1 hour before bedtime and maintain daily screen-free times, especially for reading books, playing games, and family meals.
Encourage outdoor activities to keep them physically active and reduce stress and improve creativity, social skills, and resilience.
FAQ’s for The Impact of Screen Time on Child Development: What Paediatricians Say
Screen time is defined as the time spent (duration) by any individual engaging with electronic devices like screens, like TVs, smartphones, computers, and video games.
Excessive screen time can be harmful to babies and may lead to changes in brain activity, including shorter attention spans and lower empathy. The WHO advises avoiding screen time entirely for children under 2 years, except for video calls.
Even if they’re not directly watching, background TV can negatively affect infants and toddlers, interfering with language development, reduce parent-child interaction and hinder with playing and learning.
Excessive screen time has been linked to lower cognitive abilities, particularly in problem-solving, attention span, and language development, which can interfere with crucial activities like social interaction, physical play, and hands-on learning.
Pediatricians recommend no more than 1 hour of quality content daily for children aged 2-5 years and limited to high-quality content under the monitoring of parents.
Excessive screen time can negatively impact thinking skills, memory, learning abilities, and creative thinking, resulting in bad school performance. Early screen exposure has been linked with lower cognitive abilities and academic performance in later years.
Parents can manage screen time by setting clear limits, encouraging alternative activities such as playing outdoor games, painting, and writing poems on paper, prioritizing education, co-watching content, and creating tech-free zones.
Educational content can be beneficial for kids, but it should be age-appropriate, interactive, and co-viewed by a parent, and it is crucial to consider the amount, type, and context of screen time.
In this digital age, outdoor play is still a vital component of children’s mental, physical, and emotional development. It helps children stay physically active and reduce stress, creativity, social skills, and resilience.
Signs of excessive screen use in kids include sleep disturbances, eye strain, social withdrawal, and behavioral issues like aggression, irritability, and hyperactivity.
