Media and technology use predicts ill-being among children, preteens and teenagers independent of the negative health impacts of exercise and eating habits

“, 1990) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Survey (Rosenberg, 1965).”

“Evidence abounds that having technology in the bedroom negatively impacts aggression, eating habits, and school difficulties (Strasburger et al., 2010) as well as sleep habits (Cain & Gradisar, 2010).”

“…Singapore (Gentile, Swing, Lim, & Khoo, 2012); increased social phobia, anxiety and lower academic performance among American children and preteens (Gentile et al., 2011); and depression, social withdrawal and anxiety among adolescents and young adults who played ''massively multiplayer online…”

“A study of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade Iowa school children found that normal weight children used less screen time compared to overweight and obese children who used significantly more screen time (Iowa Department of Public Education, 2008) and a national study of 6-to 17-year-olds found that those with low physical acti…”

“…to show increased signs of depression, attention deficit disorder (both with and without the hyperactivity component), impulsivity, obsessive–compulsive disorder, hostility, and social anxiety (Carli et al., 2013; Gundogar, Bakim, Ozer, & Karamustafalioglu, 2012; Ko, Yen, Yen, Chen, & Chen, 2012).”

“Evidence abounds that having technology in the bedroom negatively impacts aggression, eating habits, and school difficulties (Strasburger et al., 2010) as well as sleep habits (Cain & Gradisar, 2010).”

“Further, screen time has been linked to increased obesity among children (Anderson & Whitaker, 2010; de Jong et al., 2013; Fitzpatrick, Pagani, & Barnett, 2012; Pagani, Fitzpatrick, Barnett, & Dubow, 2010) and adolescents (Arora et al., 2012; Barnett et al., 2010; Bickham, Walls, Shrier, Blood, &…”

“…content—particularly nonviolent and violent entertainment shows compared with educational shows—may be the culprit instead of total television time (Zimmerman & Cristakis, 2007), while other studies (Hamer et al., 2009; Page, Cooper, Griew, & Jago, 2010) showed that it is not the case that…”

“It is important to note that each form of media/technology is likely not used separately due to multitasking (Carrier et al., 2009).”

“…American children found that while 37% had low levels of active play and 65% had high levels of screen time, 26% had a combination of both (Anderson et al., 2008 found that those who watched more daily television had significantly higher BMI levels, which were moderated by both lack of…”

“…amount of television watched at 29 months and 53 months predicted increased BMI at age 10 due to increased eating and inadequate physical activity (Pagani et al., 2010) and an Australian study found that preschoolers who watched more television did have increased BMIs but they were mediated by…”

“One issue that might predict lack of physical activity is the presence of a ''technococoon'' (Weil & Rosen, 1998) where they have a wealth of technologies available in their bedrooms.”

“For example, Brown and Bobkowski (2011) found that those adolescents who played more violent video games demonstrated more aggression, which was corroborated by other researchers with Dutch adolescents (Lemmens et al., 2011).”

“…shown that the impact of video gaming depends on with whom you are playing, showing that if you are playing with new people the result is increased loneliness while if you are playing with family and/or friends the impact can be an enhanced sense of positive well-being (Cuihua & Williams, 2011).”

“…studies have highlighted more negative impacts of video gaming on youth including delinquency and both externalizing and internalizing problems (Holtz & Appel, 2011) among 10-to 14-year-olds; attention problems among adolescents in Singapore (Gentile, Swing, Lim, & Khoo, 2012); increased…”

“…more Internet use in the last 90 min before sleep predicted a worse night's sleep among American children while other research suggested that more computer use among 10-and 11-year-old children predicted more psychological difficulties even after adjusting for activity levels (Page et al., 2010).”

“…age (Mistry, Minkovitz, Srobino, & Borzekowski, 2007), (3) more television viewing at age 5 predicted more psychosocial adjustment problems at age 7 (Parkes et al., 2013), (4) more television at ages 1 and 3 predicted more attention problems at age 7 (Cristakis, Zimmerman, DiGiuseppe, & McCarty,…”

“More television, video games, and computer use among American teens predicted increased body fat (Barnett et al., 2010) while similar results were found for Canadian adolescents (Casiano et al., 2012), and Korean adolescents (Do et al., 2013).”

“A study of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade Iowa school children found that normal weight children used less screen time compared to overweight and obese children who used significantly more screen time (Iowa Department of Public Education, 2008) and a national study of 6- to 17-year-olds found that those with low physical act…”

“In addition, a study of Norwegian teens demonstrated that a combination of more television, video and computer use lead to more back pain and headaches (Torsheim et al., 2010).”

“…shows compared with educational shows—may be the culprit instead of total television time (Zimmerman & Cristakis, 2007), while other studies (Hamer et al., 2009; Page, Cooper, Griew, & Jago, 2010) showed that it is not the case that television supplants activity leading to poorer health,…”

“However, it is not simply about time displacement, as a review of studies found that reduced screen time does not necessarily promote increased exercise (Martin, 2011).”

“For example, Romer, Bagdasarov, and More (2013) showed that heavy video game usage, regardless of the content, predicted depression among adolescents and young adults, which was corroborated by Lemmens, Valkenburg, and Peter (2011) with Dutch adolescents and by Gentile et al. (2011) with American…”

“…eating and inadequate physical activity (Pagani et al., 2010) and an Australian study found that preschoolers who watched more television did have increased BMIs but they were mediated by both lack of physical activities and consuming more food calories while watching television (Cox et al., 2012).”

“Pardo et al. (2013) reviewed dozens of studies providing school intervention strategies to increase physical activity and offered suggestions for schools to implement successful physical activity programs.”

“A recent review paper summarized the impact of screen time by showing that it predicted increased aggression, aggressive feelings, and social isolation among children and adolescents (Ray & Jat, 2010).”

“Other studies have highlighted more negative impacts of video gaming on youth including delinquency and both externalizing and internalizing problems (Holtz & Appel, 2011) among 10- to 14-year-olds; attention problems among adolescents in Singapore (Gentile, Swing, Lim, & Khoo, 2012); increased social phobia, anxiety…”

“However , Gunter and Daly (2012) found that this relationship was not mediated by the propensity for violence among eighth grade American students.”

“…et al., 2012) while more television during early childhood predicted larger waist circumference among fourth grade Canadian students (Fitzpatrick et al., 2012) and more technology at bedtime, particularly television and video games, predicted higher BMIs in UK adolescents (Arora et al., 2012).”

“…playing violent games for even a short period of time encouraged them to give a punishing loud noise blast after outscoring another player (Hasan, Bègue, Scharkow, & Bushman, 2013) and that this effect persisted 24 h after completing a short session of violent video gaming (Bushman & Gibson, 2011).”

“A study of 10-to 12-year-olds in seven European countries found that those who had a television in their bedroom, and particularly those who watched more daily television, had increased BMI levels (Cameron et al., 2012).”

“…phobia, anxiety and lower academic performance among American children and preteens (Gentile et al., 2011); and depression, social withdrawal and anxiety among adolescents and young adults who played ''massively multiplayer online role-playing games'' (MMORPGs; Scott & Porter-Armstrong, 2013).”

“…(Bickham et al., 2012) while more television during early childhood predicted larger waist circumference among fourth grade Canadian students (Fitzpatrick et al., 2012) and more technology at bedtime, particularly television and video games, predicted higher BMIs in UK adolescents (Arora et…”

“On the home front, in a recent article Shearer and Moore (2013) describe behavioral interventions designed to increase physical activities of adolescents, most of which are independent of location and can be implemented in the home.”

“Other studies have refined these results showing that more primary attention to television, but not overall television time, predicted higher BMIs in American adolescents (Bickham et al., 2012) while more television during early childhood predicted larger waist circumference among fourth grade Canadian students (Fitzp…”

“Some studies find significant associations between screen time and low well-being (Babic et al., 2017; Page et al., 2010; Romer et al., 2013; Rosen et al., 2014; Twenge et al., 2018a,b; Yang et al., 2013), while others find null effects or even benefits with greater screen time (Granic et al.”