How Is Screen Time Affecting Children and Teens? New Study Reveals the Risks

Screens have become an unavoidable part of childhood. From homework and messaging friends to gaming, social media, and entertainment, children and teenagers are spending an increasing amount of their lives in the digital world. But how is all that screen time affecting their health?

A major international analysis published as part of a series of articles in the medical journal The Lancet is raising concerns about the relationship between digital media use and young people’s mental and physical well-being.

Drawing on 121 studies involving children and teenagers around the world, the researchers found associations between excessive digital media use and a range of health concerns, including low mood, emotional difficulties, and obesity. The analysis estimated that digital media exposure could be associated with around 20 percent of low mood and emotional difficulties and approximately 15 percent of obesity among young people.

Importantly, these findings point to an association and do not mean that screen use alone directly causes these outcomes.

Some Teenagers May Be More Vulnerable Than Others

Lead researcher Louise Holly of Geneva’s Digital Transformations for Health Lab emphasized that the widespread use of digital technology among young people has become an important public health issue.

The research suggests that not every child is affected in the same way. Teenagers who are already experiencing emotional difficulties or who have limited support in their immediate environment may be particularly vulnerable to some of the negative effects associated with digital media use.

At the same time, screens are not inherently harmful. Digital tools can provide opportunities for education, creativity, communication, and connection, particularly when children have appropriate guidance and supervision.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Nicole Amoyal Pensak explains that the teenage brain is still undergoing significant development. The activities young people repeatedly engage in can help shape developing habits and patterns of attention, making the way they spend their time especially important.

Instead of Just Counting Hours, Pay Attention to the Effect

Rather than focusing only on banning devices, experts encourage parents to help teenagers become more aware of how different types of digital activity affect them.

Does scrolling through certain content leave them feeling inadequate or overly competitive? Does a particular app consistently make them feel worse about themselves? Are screens replacing sleep, exercise, face-to-face interaction, or activities they previously enjoyed?

Learning to recognize these patterns can help teenagers develop healthier digital habits and know when it is time to step away.

Parents can also encourage young people to use technology more purposefully, whether for learning a new skill, exploring an interest, or creating something of their own. Offline activities, including hobbies, exercise, creative projects, and time with other people, remain important parts of a balanced routine.

The researchers acknowledge that screens cannot simply be removed from modern childhood. The goal, therefore, is not necessarily to eliminate digital media, but to help children develop a healthier relationship with it.

Open conversations, parental involvement, sensible boundaries, and attention to how digital media makes a child feel may ultimately be more useful than treating every minute of screen time in exactly the same way.