Screen Time and Its Health Consequences in Children and Adolescents
Open accessAbstract
Nowadays, children and adolescents are exposed to digital media (DM) from an early age. Therefore, specific guidelines have been published by the World Health Organization, whose aim is to limit daily screen time (ST) viewing. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a rise in DM use, and consequently ST viewing, was observed. More and more aspects of modern life are thought to be affected by excessive ST viewing. Accordingly, the aim of this review is to document the health effects of excessive ST viewing on children and adolescents. A narrative review was performed in searchable databases. In total, 43 original articles were considered. Excessive ST viewing was correlated with increased risk for obesity and other cardiometabolic risk factors, mental health, unhealthy dietary habits and eating disorders, and problems in development and child-parent relationships. Sleep, physical activity, eyesight, headaches, and the musculoskeletal system were negatively affected as well. However, the effect of ST was weighted by the type of media used and the way types of media were used. Other confounding factors were reported. There is evidence to suggest a negative correlation between excessive ST and youth health exists. Nevertheless, more research is needed if this correlation is to be established.
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Traditional sedentary games have been associated with negative health outcomes due to prolonged inactivity.
“Unlike traditional sedentary games, which have been associated with negative health outcomes due to prolonged inactivity [64–67], AVGs incorporate bodily movement as a core component of gameplay [68]; exergaming is a specific type of AVG designed primarily for exercise rather than entertainment [68].”
From Health Benefits of Video Games in Adolescents and Young Adults (2026) · cites this paper as [65]
The Results (3.4) report an association between prolonged video-game screen time and anxiety and social-phobia symptoms. Results (3.2 and 3.8) also link excessive screen time generally with lower physical activity and adverse health outcomes. The paper does not establish that inactivity causes the reported harms from video games specifically; Results (3.2) notes that no association between video games and obesity was found. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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Cites
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“Nowadays, it is widely accepted that excessive ST correlates with childhood obesity [7–13].”
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“The effects were stronger when more media types were utilised [34].”
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“Furthermore, recently, the term “digital dementia” has been proposed by researchers who consider excessive ST from an early age and dementia to be correlated [52].”
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“Excessive ST in children aged 29 mo hinders their kindergarten acclimatisation since it negatively affects vocabulary, number knowledge, classroom engagement, and locomotion and worsens victimisation, as found by a Canadian population study [47].”
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“A team from Canada found that excessive ST has a negative impact on aspects of development [45], while other research findings [46] suggest that ST in children younger than 2 yo is associated with developmental delays, supporting the WHO guidelines.”
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“The findings of the present study mostly agree with those of previous research when compared to previous systematic reviews [8,9,20,30,35,36,41,66] and meta-analyses [10,11,13,28,46,55].”
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“Smartphone use, when studied independently, is not correlated with reduced PA [63], unlike TV viewing [49] and nonspecific ST viewing [13,22,39].”
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“Furthermore, it should be highlighted that adequate PA can mitigate many of the negative effects of excessive ST [19,20,48,64].”
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“Smartphone use, when studied independently, is not correlated with reduced PA [63], unlike TV viewing [49] and nonspecific ST viewing [13,22,39].”
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“This finding was moderated by the type of child–parent relationship, age, and country [55].”
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“The findings of the present study mostly agree with those of previous research when compared to previous systematic reviews [8,9,20,30,35,36,41,66] and meta-analyses [10,11,13,28,46,55].”
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“Reversibly, no association was found between pre-existing panic disorder symptoms and ST, while pre-existing depression or anxiety symptoms led to more computer and VG usage [31].”
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“Smartphone use, when studied independently, is not correlated with reduced PA [63], unlike TV viewing [49] and nonspecific ST viewing [13,22,39].”
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“…observational study of Brazilian adolescents found that both more than 2 h of daily ST and eating in front of a TV more than doubled the risk of high ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption [38], while excessive ST was found to prompt Greek youth to eat a less healthy diet and skip breakfast [39].”
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“Moreover, ST on both weekdays and weekends was described as an RF for cardiorespiratory endurance of children and adolescents [24].”
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“The last one has been documented as an RF for parent– child conflict [56].”
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“Cureau FV et al. documented that excessive ST affects cardiometabolic risk only in overweight children [21].”
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Shaban Mohamed, M. A., AbouKhatwa, M. M., Saifullah, A. A., Hareez Syahmi, M., Mosaad, M., Elrggal, M. E., Dehele, I. S., & Elnaem, M. H. (2022) · Children · doi:10.3390/children9121975 · Cited by 52 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Furthermore, it should be highlighted that adequate PA can mitigate many of the negative effects of excessive ST [19,20,48,64].”
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“The findings of the present study mostly agree with those of previous research when compared to previous systematic reviews [8,9,20,30,35,36,41,66] and meta-analyses [10,11,13,28,46,55].”
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“No such association could be established with computer or tablet use; thus, more research is needed [58].”
BackgroundMethodKhajeheian, D., Colabi, A., Ahmad Kharman Shah, N., Bt Wan Mohamed Radzi, C., & Jenatabadi, H. (2018) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph15071343 · Cited by 40 · cited 3× · see citing works
“The type of ST also plays an important role, as social media (SM) use has been described to be the most important risk factor (RF) for obesity in primary and secondary school children [12], while for video games (VGs), no such association could be found [13].”
BackgroundEffects of screen time and playing outside on anthropometric measures in preschool aged children
Schwarzfischer, P., Gruszfeld, D., Socha, P., Luque, V., Closa‐Monasterolo, R., Rousseaux, D., Moretti, M., ReDionigi, A., Verduci, E., Koletzko, B. V., et al. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0229708 · Cited by 40 · cited 2× · see citing works
“That is to say, it can still be found in younger children, as proven in a longitudinal study by Schwarzfischer P et al. [15].”
BackgroundResultDy, A. B. C., Dy, A. B. C., & Santos, S. K. (2023) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16188-4 · Cited by 40 · cited 4× · see citing works
“Although there is evidence to suggest that excessive ST is harmful to youth, in a recent study, more than 80% of the participating parents reported that they believe that ST increases their children’s creativity and imagination [4].”
BackgroundInfluentialJain, S., Shrivastava, S., Mathur, A., Pathak, D., & Pathak, A. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20043449 · Cited by 38 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Interestingly, eye pain has been identified as a PF against excessive ST [62].”
BackgroundSedentary behavior and neck pain in children and adolescents; a systematic review and meta-analysis
Mahdavi, S. B., Mazaheri‐Tehrani, S., Riahi, R., Vahdatpour, B., & Kelishadi, R. (2022) · Health Promotion Perspectives · doi:10.34172/hpp.2022.31 · Cited by 30 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Furthermore, mobile phone use is documented as an RF for neck [71] and back [64] pain in youth.”
BackgroundBack pain in children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study
Azevedo, N., Ribeiro, J. C., & Machado, L. J. (2023) · European Spine Journal · doi:10.1007/s00586-023-07751-z · Cited by 30 · cited 3× · see citing works
“Furthermore, mobile phone use is documented as an RF for neck [71] and back [64] pain in youth.”
BackgroundAttygalle, U. R., Hewawitharana, G., & Wijesinghe, C. J. (2020) · BMC Neurology · doi:10.1186/s12883-020-01855-5 · Cited by 26 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Children 2023 , 10 , 1665 8 of 17 ST has also been linked with migraine headaches [68–70].”
BackgroundDou, Q., Zhu, Z., Zhu, L., et al. (2023) · Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1265/ehpm.22-00243 · Cited by 25 · cited 1× · see citing works
“The same was true for low dairy product consumption [72], which, in turn, has been linked with excessive ST [37,39].”
BackgroundSina, E., Buck, C., Veidebaum, T., Siani, A., Reisch, L. A., Pohlabeln, H., Pala, V. M., Moreno, L. A., Molnár, D., Lissner, L., et al. (2021) · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · doi:10.1186/s12966-021-01186-9 · Cited by 23 · cited 3× · see citing works
“Smartphone use, when studied independently, is not correlated with reduced PA [63], unlike TV viewing [49] and nonspecific ST viewing [13,22,39].”
BackgroundLund, J., Berring-Uldum, A. A., Colak, M., & Debes, N. M. (2021) · Neuropediatrics · doi:10.1055/s-0041-1740550 · Cited by 21 · cited 1× · see citing works
“No correlation could be found for other types of headaches [69,70].”
BackgroundMarin-Dragu, S., Forbes, A., Sheikh, S., Iyer, R. S., dos Santos, D. P., Alda, M., Hájek, T., Uher, R., Wozney, L., Paulovich, F. V., et al. (2023) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115298 · Cited by 21 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Marin-Dragu S et al. [27] 2023 Cross-sectional 451 Subjective ways of measuring active and passive smartphone use were studied.”
BackgroundKjellenberg, K., Ekblom, Ö. B., Stålman, C., Helgadóttir, B., & Nyberg, G. (2021) · Children · doi:10.3390/children8110998 · Cited by 18 · cited 2× · see citing works
“More specifically, excessive ST on weekends was associated with increased BMI and decreased CVF [23], while excessive ST on weekdays was associated with breakfast skipping [40].”
BackgroundLin, Y., Zhang, X., Huang, Y., Jia, Z., Chen, J., Hou, W., Zhao, L., Wang, G., & Zhu, J. (2022) · Frontiers in Pediatrics · doi:10.3389/fped.2022.987523 · Cited by 17 · cited 1× · see citing works
“No ST was linked with more total sleep time compared to any duration of ST in children aged 0–2 yo [57].”
BackgroundAssociation of screen time and cardiometabolic risk in school-aged children
Vanderloo, L. M., Keown‐Stoneman, C. D. G., Sivanesan, H., Parkin, P. C., Maguire, J. L., Anderson, L. N., Tremblay, M. S., & Birken, C. S. (2020) · Preventive Medicine Reports · doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101183 · Cited by 16 · cited 2× · see citing works
“At the same time, Vanderloo LM et al. could only identify a very subtle effect of ST on CVD. Specifically, excessive ST caused a moderate, dose-dependent reduction in HDL [25].”
BackgroundHökby, S., Westerlund, J., Alvarsson, J., Carli, V., & Hadlaczky, G. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20043771 · Cited by 16 · cited 4× · see citing works
“Lastly, gender was observed to mediate the effects of ST. Excessive use of DM in girls was more likely to negatively affect CVF [24] and mental health [29] and increase EDs [42,43].”
BackgroundInfluentialHelgadóttir, B., Baurén, H., Kjellenberg, K., Ekblom, Ö. B., & Nyberg, G. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13124467 · Cited by 13 · cited 2× · see citing works
“More specifically, excessive ST on weekends was associated with increased BMI and decreased CVF [23], while excessive ST on weekdays was associated with breakfast skipping [40].”
BackgroundA Survey of Screen Media Access and Use in Primary School Children’s Households
Hinten, A. E., Wolsey, K., Henderson, A. M. E., & Scarf, D. (2022) · Children · doi:10.3390/children10010028 · Cited by 10 · cited 3× · see citing works
“Excessive ST was associated with lower PA intensity levels [24] and less playing outside [5,62] in children and adolescents.”
BackgroundMethodPedersen, J., Rasmussen, M. G. B., Neland, M., & Grøntved, A. (2020) · Scandinavian Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1177/1403494820914823 · Cited by 7 · cited 7× · see citing works
“The effects of ST on the development of children and adolescents have been identified by many research groups [6,9,44].”
BackgroundInfluential
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Screen time exposure and executive functions in preschool children
Lakičević, N., Manojlović, M., Chichinina, E., Drid, P., & Zinchenko, Y. P. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-79290-6 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
“…cognitive function, are much more abundant in children and adolescents, where increased ST is correlated with an increased risk for cardiometabolic risk factors, obesity, mental health, unhealthy dietary habits and eating disorders, and problems in development and child–parent relationships 59 .”
Frielingsdorf, H., Fomichov, V., Rystedt, I., Lindstrand, S., Korhonen, L., & Henriksson, H. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-83951-x · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Sidiq, M., Janakiraman, B., Kashoo, F. Z., Jastania, R., Alhusayni, A. I., Alzahrani, A., Chahal, A., Thiyagarajan, A., Khan, I., Kumar, C., et al. (2025) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.19409 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Jusienė, R., Breidokienė, R., Baukienė, E., & Rakickienė, L. (2025) · Children · doi:10.3390/children12020188 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“…screen time to 1 h a day for children aged 2 to 5 [9] as prolonged exposure to screens has been associated with poorer child development [10,11] and in particular with delayed language development in preschool age [12–14], attentional difficulties [15], obesity, and other health problems [16].”
Analysis of parental beliefs and practices leading to excessive screen time in early childhood
Bhutani, P., Varghese, L. A., Bajaj, G., Bhutani, C., Khan, F. A., Menon, G., Deka, R. C., Ray, S. K., & Satapathy, S. S. (2025) · BMJ Paediatrics Open · doi:10.1136/bmjpo-2025-003488 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Oberle, E., Fan, S., Molyneux, T. M., Ji, X. R., & BRUSSONI, M. J. (2025) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-025-21857-7 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“However, modern lifestyles have become increasingly sedentary, which has been linked to heightened health risks [2], especially for screen-based sedentary behaviour [3].”
Marshall, N. J., Loades, M. E., Jacobs, C., Biddle, L., & Lambert, J. D. (2025) · Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s40501-025-00348-x · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“Among these populations, an excessive use of digital devices has been linked to higher rates of obesity, sleep disturbances, attentional disorders, and socialization difficulties [47].”
D’Antonio, G., Sansone, V., Postiglione, M., Battista, G., Gallé, F., Pelullo, C. P., & Giuseppe, G. D. (2024) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu16234162 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Digital Media Use and Screen Time Exposure Among Youths: A Lifestyle-Based Public Health Concern
Khanani, M. I., Khan, M. R., Farooqi, M. F., Fazal, J., Aabideen, Z., & Kuwaiti, N. A. (2025) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.88373 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“On the other hand, screen time refers to the duration of time spent on passive screen-based entertainment such as watching videos or browsing, excluding interactive or physically active screen-based activities [2,3].”
Rocha, B., Ferreira, L. I., Martins, C., Santos, R., & Nunes, C. (2023) · Children · doi:10.3390/children10111807 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“These conditions can include obesity and cardiovascular diseases [8,36], learning difficulties, and cognitive development delays [10,14], as well as psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression [17,42,43,48].”
BackgroundResultEating Problems Among Adolescent Boys and Girls Before and During the Covid‐19 Pandemic
Pettersen, J. H., Hegemann, L., Gustavson, K., Lund, I. O., Jensen, P., Bulik, C. M., Andreassen, O. A., Havdahl, A., Brandlistuen, R. E., Hannigan, L. J., et al. (2024) · International Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1002/eat.24314 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Anjum, N., Hasan, M. M., Jahan, N., Ahamed, S. I., Garefino, A. C., & Sakib, N. (2025) · JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting · doi:10.2196/60355 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“It is well known that prolonged screen exposure at close distances could be extremely detrimental to children’s eyesight [45].”
Hossian, M., Nisar, M., Mielke, G. I., & Khan, A. (2025) · Health Promotion Journal of Australia · doi:10.1002/hpja.70021 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Radványi, I., Tibold, A., Fejes, É., Mák, K., Beke, S., Fehér, G., Nyulas, R., & Gaál, V. (2024) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1445856 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Shen, L., Li, H., Wang, K., et al. (2025) · Frontiers in Neurology · doi:10.3389/fneur.2025.1674946 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Fonvig, C. E., Troelsen, J., & Holsgaard‐Larsen, A. (2024) · Child Care Health and Development · doi:10.1111/cch.13221 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Costa-Santos, C., Mattar, G. G. C. D., Fuziwara, R. A., Peres, J. A. D. A., & Queiroz, M. S. (2024) · Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders · doi:10.1089/met.2024.0065 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“10,13 A prospective cohort study showed that higher ST in adolescence was associated with higher odds of select indicators (such as waist circumference, obesity, and diabetes) of cardiometabolic disease in adulthood.”
Strategi dan Tantangan Keterlibatan Ayah dalam Pengasuhan Anak Usia Dini di Era Digital
Mutiarasari, A., Listiana, A., & Rachmawati, Y. (2024) · Jurnal Obsesi Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini · doi:10.31004/obsesi.v8i6.6463 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Namun disisi lain juga memberikan dampak negatif yaitu berkurangnya aktivitas fisik, kurangnya stimulasi perkembangan yang seimbang, ancaman keamanan, kecanduan gadget (Priftis & Panagiotakos, 2023).”
Nasrallah, M., Helwa, A. A., Jawhar, N. Y., Alshammari, A., Eddin, A. R. J., BaniHani, H. A., & Ojaimi, M. N. A. (2025) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.82971 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“These findings echo previous research suggesting that increased screen time is a risk factor for childhood obesity [1,2], as it displaces time that could be spent on more physically engaging activities [11].”
Marco, J. C. P. D., de Lima, T. R., Pinto, A. D. A., Brazo‐Sayavera, J., & Pelegrini, A. (2024) · Sports Medicine and Health Science · doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2024.12.003 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Adolescents' screen media entertainment: a quantitative, cross-sectional study
Sebsbie, S., & Tsegaye, A. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1549080 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Exploring Screen Time and Its Effects on Children’s Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study
Mulla, W., Ahmed, W., Radhi, M., Alaali, H., Alwazeer, G., Yusuf, F., Alsuhim, G., Suhaym, A. A., Alahmari, W. M. D., Abdulla, M., et al. (2024) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.71215 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Sebsbie, S., & Tsegaye, A. (2025) · International Journal of Adolescence and Youth · doi:10.1080/02673843.2025.2527305 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“…more with screen-based media than other age groups (Camerini et al., 2021; Council on communications and media, 2016; Livingstone & Helsper, 2007; Madigan et al., 2020; Priftis & Panagiotakos, 2023; Przybylski & Weinstein, 2019; Throuvala et al., 2019; Twenge & Campbell, 2018; Zablotsky, 2024).”
Parental behavior and near screen use in childhood: a route to reduce screen induced myopia
Iyer, V., Hermans, R. C. J., Polling, J. R., et al. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1621687 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Debnath, A., Panwar, N., & Verma, A. (2025) · Indian Journal of Sleep Medicine · doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10069-0168 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Murillo, S., Philipsheck, A. P., Dementyev, F., Bello-Soto, B., Bhatt, E., Wilson, H., Madison, K., Schuck, L., Wiafe, S., Brown, C. L., et al. (2025) · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · doi:10.3389/fspor.2025.1646805 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Consistent with existing literature, we found that students adhering to screen time recommendations generally reported better psychosocial well-being (98, 145, 146).”
Møller-Skau, C., Lorentzen, C., Moradi, S., & Bauger, L. (2026) · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · doi:10.3389/fspor.2025.1712055 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“On one hand, the high likelihood of CWD belonging to groups where screen time is a dominant part of leisure time raises concerns as screen time is often associated with sedentary behaviour and linked to adverse physical and mental health outcomes (84, 85).”
Barbieri, V., Piccoliori, G., Engl, A., von Strobele-Prainsack, D. H., & Wiedermann, C. J. (2026) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs16030439 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
de Moura, J. V., & Ferreira, C. C. (2026) · Aracê. · doi:10.56238/arev8n10-036 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
O IMPACTO NEGATIVO DO TEMPO DE TELAS EM CRIANÇAS: UMA REVISÃO SISTEMÁTICA
de Andrade, A. V. R., Fortes, C. V. S., Araújo, L. M. S., & Oliveira, C. C. B. (2024) · Revista Contemporânea · doi:10.56083/rcv4n6-077 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Dovramadjiev, T., Добрева, Д., & Zlateva, R. I. (2024) · Communications in computer and information science · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-72284-4_12 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Mohammed, B. I. (2025) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.79113 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Foundations of Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine
Gaínza‐Lein, M. (2025) · Children · doi:10.3390/children12030304 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Prolonged screen time has been associated with numerous health issues, including mental health disorders, sleep disturbances, obesity, headaches, and negative effects on neurodevelopment, attention, language acquisition, behavior, and socio-emotional and cognitive development [134–136].”
Schibler, B. M., Kanne, S. M., Stoddard, G. J., & Carbone, P. S. (2025) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-025-06842-8 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“…time on a variety of health outcomes, sleep, grades, and social relationships, but due to an increased propensity among autistic children for pathologic screen use behaviors (Gentile, 2009; Macmullin et al., 2016; Mazurek & Wenstrup, 2013; Priftis & Panagiotakos, 2023; Simonelli et al., 2024).”
Basilico, S., Conti, M. V., Ardoino, I., Breda, C., Loperfido, F., Orsini, F., Fernandez, M. L. O., Pierini, L., Bonizzoni, S. C., Modena, E., et al. (2025) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu17172778 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Health Benefits of Video Games in Adolescents and Young Adults
Nagata, J. M., Nayak, S., Choi, W., Potes, C., Heuer, A., Memon, Z., Talebloo, J., Li, E. J., Bao, K., Helmer, C. K., et al. (2026) · Current Pediatrics Reports · doi:10.1007/s40124-026-00376-y · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Unveiling COVID-19 lockdowns shaped the growth of Chinese preschool children
Cai, P., Wang, M., Yang, Z. L., et al. (2025) · International Journal of Obesity · doi:10.1038/s41366-025-01756-y · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Consequently, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children during the lockdown period was signi fi cantly higher than before the pandemic, indicating that lockdown measures exacerbate these conditions in preschool children, with the negative effects likely to persist long-term [25].”
Merter, Ö. S., Şengül, Z. K., & Akay, K. (2025) · Anatolian Journal of Health Research · doi:10.61534/anatoljhr.1608756 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Fondell, E., Vallejos, J., Piazza, A. J., et al. (2025) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu17101676 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Screen time also affects sleep [39].”
Jafari, S. F., Mousavi, M. Z., Kousha, M., Isanazar, A., & Leili, E. K. (2025) · Journal of Comprehensive Pediatrics · doi:10.5812/jcp-160297 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Sumathy, P., & Maheswari, R. U. (2025) · Journal of Education and Health Promotion · doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_1695_24 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“[1] Technological developments over the past few decades have completely changed our”
Emon, H. H., Pingky, J. S., Halder, H., Karmaker, S., Rahman, M., Shishir, F. M., Tithi, T. R., Akter, S., Rahman, M., & Hossain, M. M. (2025) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-098366 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“21 The effects of screen time on children’s academic performance and overall health underscore the need for parental awareness and preventive strategies to mitigate these risks.”
Rasmussen, C. L., Au, I. P. H., Hendry, D., Beynon, A. M., Stearne, S. M., Thomas, G., Mannell, K., Kervin, L. K., Edwards, S., Harris, C. J., et al. (2026) · JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting · doi:10.2196/84712 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“However, excessive screen time has been associated with negative health effects, including sleep disturbances and obesity [10,11].”
Life Course and Cohort Patterns in Screen Time Among School-Aged Children in the United States
Kranjac, A. W., & Kranjac, D. (2025) · The Journal of Pediatrics Clinical Practice · doi:10.1016/j.jpedcp.2025.200183 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“E-mail: kranjac@chapman.edu”
Imai, S., Close, A., Jones, T., & Jones, K. T. (2025) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare13222833 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Excessive screen time may displace time for physical activity, in-person social interactions, and sleep, all of which are critical for adolescent well-being [24].”
Sun, C., Lin, H., Zhang, Z., Yang, X., Zhou, J., Wang, R., & Xue, Y. (2025) · Frontiers in Neurology · doi:10.3389/fneur.2025.1625954 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Blauzde, I., Dulskienė, V., Medžionienė, J., Dilys, L., & Kučienė, R. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-29544-8 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Thorat, S., Deshmukh, R., & Adhya, S. (2026) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1682181 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Туйебахов, М., Текманова, А. К., Кусайынова, Э. И., Beisenbinova, Z. B., Nurbakyt, A. N., Maratbekova, A., Khairullayeva, N. Z., Akhatovna, A. S., & Maukayeva, S. (2025) · Ġylym men densaulyķ saķtau. · doi:10.34689/sh.2025.27.5.025 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Socio-Educational Impacts of Technology and Media on Youth Behavior and Learning
Ahmad, S. (2025) · VFAST Transactions on Education and Social Sciences · doi:10.21015/vtess.v13i4.2341 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Lu, G., Li, X., Bi, C., Niu, C., Qin, G., Wu, W., Wang, A., Guo, Y., Xiao, S., Yang, W., et al. (2026) · The Journal of Headache and Pain · doi:10.1186/s10194-026-02324-z · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Parental education, screen time and oral health: a cross-sectional study among adolescents
Özyılmaz, H., & Bağlar, S. (2026) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-025-25923-y · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Both the WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend limiting children’s daily screen use to under two hours [29, 30].”
Onorati, L., Papantoniou, G., Koletzko, B., Mazur, A., Karafyllidou, D. K., Baraldi, E., & Reali, L. (2026) · Acta Paediatrica · doi:10.1111/apa.70695 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Effects of screen time on the social well-being of adolescents
Danmaisoro, H. B., & Mozayani, A. (2024) · Forensic Research & Criminology International Journal · doi:10.15406/frcij.2024.12.00412 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Martins, R. C., Brito, F. D. S. B., & Curioni, C. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0322617 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“This may be related to the fact that screen time can lead to distracted eating behavior, greater exposure to advertisements for unhealthy foods, and a preference for substituting healthier foods owing to laziness in planning or preparing a meal [13,14].”
InfluentialThe Influence of Social Media and Gaming Practices on Perceived Academic Performance in ChildrenPreprint
Ippolito, M., & Pressman, M. S. (2024) · doi:10.31124/advance.24916098.v1 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
The Influence of Social Media and Gaming Practices on Perceived Academic Performance in ChildrenPreprint
Ippolito, M., & Pressman, M. S. (2024) · doi:10.31124/advance.24916098
Pediatricians’ Knowledge of Screen Use and Identifying of Own Children’s Screen Use Habits
Baysal, Ş. G., & Tas, M. (2024) · Medical Bulletin of Haseki · doi:10.4274/haseki.galenos.2024.9593
Suh, J. H. (2025) · Applied Neuropsychology Child · doi:10.1080/21622965.2024.2449536
“…studies suggests that prolonged screen time is linked to a variety of negative mental health outcomes, including increased risks of anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems (Hmidan et al., 2023; Muppalla et al., 2023; Priftis & Panagiotakos, 2023; Santos et al., 2023; Stiglic & Viner, 2019).”
Lee, D., & Lee, B. (2025) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app15147929
Screen time and sleep duration among Brazilian Quilombola schoolchildrenPreprint
Souza, L., Araujo, L. D. M. D. S., Dias, L. A., Barros, A. K. C., & de Jesus, G. M. (2025) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-7143085/v1
Screen time and adolescent well-being: a comparative study of Russia and Cuba
Kornienko, D. S., Rudnova, N. A., Veraksa, А., Oslé, J. E. T., Chursina, A., & Rosales, E. C. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1587475 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Various studies have documented negative effects of screen time on physical health, such as increased risk of obesity, poor dietary habits and physical inactivity (3, 4).”
Ponomarev, V. G. (2025) · Standards and Monitoring in Education · doi:10.12737/1998-1740-2025-13-3-21-27
A CONSEQUÊNCIA DO USO DE TELAS NA OBESIDADE INFANTIL
Rodrigues, C. C., Schulka, G. B., & Gasparin, F. R. S. (2025) · Revista Contemporânea · doi:10.56083/rcv5n9-115
Prevalence and risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders among medical students in China
Zheng, C., Zhang, W., He, W., Liu, A., He, M., Gu, Y., Wu, J., Liu, Y., Zhang, J., Wang, J., et al. (2025) · Work · doi:10.1177/10519815251387122
“…4 h is associated with an increased risk of neck, shoulder, and elbow pain, consistent with fi ndings by Pirnes K P et al. 48 and Priftis et al.. 49 Wu et al. 50 noted that the most common MSD sites among college students are the neck, lower back, and shoulders, primarily due to prolonged…”
Gupta, A., Anubhav, Priyadarshi, A., Kaur, N., Priya, T., & Singh, N. (2025) · International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences · doi:10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20253969
Screen Exposure and Childhood Adiposity in Socially Vulnerable Settings: Cross-Sectional Study
Duarte, A., Martins, J., Silva, M. J., Augusto, C., & Rosario, R. V. (2025) · JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting · doi:10.2196/77431
“Apart from health consequences, media use by children was also identified by Priftis and Panagiotakos [4], in a review documenting the health effects of excessive screen viewing on children and adolescents, as potentially having a socioeconomic impact as well.”
InfluentialEFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT – A REVIEW
Walasek, M., Ziemba, M., Giedzicz, K., et al. (2025) · International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science · doi:10.31435/ijitss.4(48).2025.4321
Atashpanjeh, H., Dumaru, P., & Al-Ameen, M. N. (2026) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2025.2594746 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“…screen time fosters sedentary behaviors, increasing the risk of obesity, cardiovascular issues, musculoskeletal problems, straining vision, and headaches (Li, et al., 2020; Lissak, 2018; Priftis and Panagiotakos, 2023; Stiglic and Viner 2019; Saunders and Vallance, 2017; Jain et al., 2023).”
Westbury, L. D., Bevilacqua, G., Laskou, F., Kirkham-Wilson, F., Fuggle, N. R., & Dennison, E. M. (2026) · Archives of Osteoporosis · doi:10.1007/s11657-026-01675-z
“Whilst this topic has not been investigated in adults in midlife to our knowledge, many studies amongst children and adolescents have explored the potential impact of screen time on physical and mental health [3–5], with some reporting sex differences.”
Prolonged Immobility Due to Digital Exposure: A Rising Risk of E-Thrombosis in the Digital Age
Toprak, Ş., & Albayrak, M. (2026) · Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis · doi:10.1177/10760296261429236
Associations Between Digital Activity and Well-Being at School Among Russian and Serbian Adolescents
Rudnova, N. A., Kornienko, D. S., Veraksa, А., Zanini, D., Manojlović, M., & Drid, P. (2026) · European Journal of Psychology Open · doi:10.1024/2673-8627/a000099
BEYOND THE SCALE: COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR YOUTH OBESITY
Jabłonowska, M., & Grzeszczuk, P. (2025) · International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science · doi:10.31435/ijitss.4(48).2025.4236
Association of Screen Time with Posture and Gross Motor Development in Adolescents
Faryad, A., Jabbar, M., Tauqeer, S., et al. (2026) · Pakistan BioMedical Journal · doi:10.54393/pbmj.v9i1.1344
Alptekin, İ. M., Küçüközkan, B. M., & Demir, H. (2026) · Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi · doi:10.37989/gumussagbil.1791788
Baptista, P. M., Marques, J. H., Santos, G. J. M., et al. (2026) · Clinical ophthalmology · doi:10.2147/opth.s571074
Sleep quality in children with epilepsy and their mothers: A cross-sectional study.
Veziroğlu, H., & Kemer, D. (2026) · Journal of pediatric nursing · doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2026.04.028
Meral, Y., Açıkgöz, S., & Ermis, D. K. (2026) · The Educational and Developmental Psychologist · doi:10.1080/20590776.2026.2656211
“…to acknowledge the potential behavioural and neurobiological developmental risks associated with excessive screen exposure (Chen et al., 2023; Neophytou et al., 2021) and prolonged sedentary behaviour (Priftis & Panagiotakos, 2023) – risks that may apply to both leisure and educational screen use.”
Using a Large Language Model to Evaluate Content Quality in Nutritional YouTube Shorts
Powell, L., Powell, G., Rebman, C. M., & Wimmer, H. (2026) · Journal of Information Systems Applied Research and Analytics · doi:10.62273/hfns3900 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Elvira-Zorzo, M. N., Gandarillas, M. A., & Pica-Miranda, G. A. (2026) · Youth · doi:10.3390/youth6020062
“These associations are not uniform but vary according to demographic factors such as age and sex (e.g., Fassi et al., 2024; Gao & Gao, 2024; Nagata et al., 2025; Priftis & Panagiotakos, 2023; Twenge & Martin, 2020).”
Digital Exposure and Skin Health in Children and Adolescents: A State-of-the-Art Review
Yee, C., Reddy, R., Sultana, R., Ozbakir, Z. K., Anigbo, C. R., Kolesnikova, A., Rai, S. S., Rivera-Torres, S. L., & Rai, M. (2026) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.110340
D’Antonio, G., Sansone, V., Paduano, G., et al. (2026) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu18121861
Jugdeo, P., & Khan, N. E. (2026) · African vision and eye health · doi:10.4102/aveh.v85i1.1099
Sebben, S., Zhang, J., Frizzo, G. B., Wade, M., & Browne, D. T. (2026) · Brain and Environment · doi:10.1016/j.braen.2026.100024
Screen Time, Unhealthy Eating Behaviors, and Associated Health Risks in Children: A Narrative Review
Calcaterra, V., Cena, H., Marin, L., Cavallo, C., Taranto, S., Conti, M. V., Patanè, P., Guardamagna, L., Minardi, E., Bellingeri, L., et al. (2026) · Children · doi:10.3390/children13070887
“Reviews and guideline-oriented papers increasingly stress that the quality of content, the purpose of use, and the social context of media exposure are essential considerations alongside duration [17,18,25].”
InfluentialSarwari, S., & Minar, T. A. (2026) · South Asian Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1108/sajm-11-2025-0061
Golec, M., Wieczorek, T., Tomaszewski, M., Kogut, K., Suchcicka, J., Dmowski, C., Banski, P., Mycka, H., Janas, J., Bogucka, J., et al. (2026) · npj Digital Public Health · doi:10.1038/s44482-026-00034-6
“Researchersreported an increased risk of another group of diseases reported in the context of digital exposure were 12,48,53 .”
Özdemir, E. Z., Bektaş, M., ÖZCAN, N., & Erengönül, B. Ç. (2026) · Children · doi:10.3390/children13081110
“PIU has been associated with a range of adverse health outcomes in children and adolescents, including disrupted sleep, reduced physical activity, emotional dysregulation, poorer mental health, and impaired academic performance [4–8].”
Saleh, M. S. M. (2026) · NASN School Nurse · doi:10.1177/1942602x261482095
“Adolescents with excessive screen use often experience reduced concentration, decreased classroom engagement, poor time management, and declining academic achievement (Priftis & Panagiotakos, 2023).”
Problematic media use, screen time, and literacy-related motor skills in first-grade children
Yazıcı, M., Yıldız, Y., & Kıvrak, M. (2026) · Early Child Development and Care · doi:10.1080/03004430.2026.2737692
Charan, G. S., Kumar, R., Yadav, S., Dular, S. K., Shokeen, J., Palawat, M. S., Kalia, R., & Jha, P. (2026) · The Egyptian Journal of Neurology Psychiatry and Neurosurgery · doi:10.1186/s41983-026-01261-7
“The effects of ST depend on the type and usage of media; however, there is a clear negative link between excessive ST use and youth health [21].”
Min, J., Chae, Y., & Jeong, Y. (2026) · Preventing Chronic Disease · doi:10.5888/pcd23.260212
Kranjac, A. W., & Kranjac, D. (2026) · Maternal and Child Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10995-026-04333-5
Dildeğmez, G. E. (2026) · Özgür Yayınları eBooks · doi:10.58830/ozgur.pub1524.c6157
Holly, L., Vishwanath, P., Redlich, C., Lazëri, L., & Muscat, N. A. (2026) · Online Journal of Public Health Informatics · doi:10.2196/90160
Platform Power and the Child Consumer
Hariyani, D. Y., Nabiila, J. H., Badawi, M., Rustam, P., & Luande, N. A. (2026) · IGI Global eBooks · doi:10.4018/979-8-2600-4921-1.ch011
BombQuest: A Co-Located Collaborative Screenless XR Game for Children
Migchelsen, S., van Gurp, J. A. M., Cmentowski, S., et al. (2026) · Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play · doi:10.1145/3800965.3834486
Krishna, S., Bodda, S., Salethoor, S. N., Kulangara, S., Puthiyedath, R., Nair, V. A., & Diwakar, S. (2026) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare14213624
Alhowimel, A. S., Alenazi, A. M., Alqahtani, B., Alotaibi, M., Alhwoaimel, N., & AlMuhaya, A. H. (2026) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm15218275
- Authors
- Priftis, N., & Panagiotakos, D.
- Affiliations
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
- Harokopio University of Athens (GR)
- Corresponding author
- Panagiotakos, Demosthenes
- Venue
- Children
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2023-10-08
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1665
- ISSN
- 2227-9067 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10605067
- OpenAlex
- W4387454240
- Semantic Scholar
- 09b25f950efc79f642a18afb168b19bb3cb75249
- Cited by
- 100
- References
- 72
- Citations by year
- 2026: 39 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 6.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Children (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Keywords
- screen time, digital media use, adolescents, health effects, obesity, cardiometabolic risk, mental health, eating disorders, dietary habits, sleep, physical activity, eye health, musculoskeletal disorders, parent-child relationship, COVID-19 pandemic
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