Excessive screen time, a growing concern among parents and healthcare professionals, has become synonymous with “addiction.”
Psychologist Dr. Aric Sigman, in his article published in the Journal of the International Child Neurology Association, explains the term addiction as “a term increasingly used to describe the growing number of children who engage in a variety of different screen activities in addictive and problematic ways.”
This disturbing phenomenon is indirectly leading to a series of unrest in India.
SCREEN TIME-RELATED DISORDERS IN CHILDREN
A major problem directly caused by prolonged screen time is the obesity epidemic. Obesity has also led to a number of health problems.
On the one hand, young people are addicted to screens and on the other hand, India is facing a growing number of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.
The consequences of these physical and mental health problems can be serious and lay the foundation for long-term health problems that can persist into adulthood.
Uncontrolled screen time can cause brain changes in children. This is less the case in adults, whose brains are already developed. This can inhibit their neural development and increase their screen dependence.
According to a study published in PLUS One, excessive screen time can lead to developmental delays in children under five.
Increased screen time was significantly associated with developmental delays, particularly in the areas of language acquisition and communication, especially in children under two years of age.
Child psychologist Dr Swati Chhabra told IndiaToday.in that while screen time is not directly linked to the increase in disorders among children, it is certainly leading to more neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
“In children between the ages of 7 and 8, lack of eye contact can lead to autism. The child begins to imitate what he sees on the screen by changing his accent. Excessive screen time in children under 3 is a major risk factor,” said Dr. Chhabra.
PERSONALITY AND MENTAL DISORDERS
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), children under two years of age are not recommended to look at screens – they should only watch educational programs when accompanied by a caregiver.
For children ages 2 to 5, screen time of one hour or less is recommended – one hour on weekdays and three hours on weekends.
However, there is no recommended screen usage time for children aged 6 and over. Healthy use and activities are encouraged.
Experts say a constant flood of information and entertainment can lead to sensory overload, shorten attention spans and make it difficult for children to participate in real-life activities or build meaningful interpersonal relationships.
Dr. Chhabra stressed that screen time exacerbates isolated language delays, where a child understands things and can express his needs by signing or pointing without using words.
Dr. Kadam Nagpal, senior neurologist at Salubritas, explained that excessive screen time disrupts and desynchronizes a child’s biological clock, affecting their sleep-wake cycle.
“This sleep-wake rhythm can cause memory and attention problems. The light emitted by screens at night can also affect the production of a neurotransmitter called dopamine, also known as the feel-good chemical in the brain, which makes children want to watch again and again,” Dr Nagpal told IndiaToday.in.
The expert added that the use of such devices in children also leads to photosensitive epilepsy and migraines.
“In general, it discourages children from physical activity and this has dangerous consequences and leads to an obesity epidemic in the country,” warned Dr. Nagpal.
US psychotherapist Dr. George Lynn said that children are increasingly being diagnosed with personality syndromes due to excessive viewing of online videos or excessive use of social media.
“Most doctors, primary care physicians and even psychiatrists are unaware of the obvious fact that a child may only be getting two to three hours of sleep a night. And that leads to personality problems,” Dr. Lynn told NeuroHealth.
A child’s screen addiction can lead to insomnia, back pain, weight fluctuations, vision problems, headaches, anxiety, dishonesty, guilt and loneliness, as Dr. Aarushi Dewan, clinical psychologist and founder of Coping Keys, points out.
“The period from birth to two years of age is the sensory and motor phase of cognitive development. When children are exposed to digital media, they may substitute screens for important and beneficial activities for neuropsychomotor growth and development,” explained Dr. Dewan.
Not only does it affect sleep quality, but it also leads to e-screen syndrome, i.e. screen addiction.
“Parents tend to use screens to calm their children when they cry. This results in children not learning how to self-soothe and regulate their emotions. This eventually leads to poor emotion regulation in children,” the expert added.
Digital games regulate a child’s attention, which causes children to lose curiosity and self-control and become emotionally unstable.
Several researchers have reported that preschool children with more than two hours of screen time per day have a 7.7-fold increased risk of meeting the criteria for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
Dr. Dewan shared that sensory and motor delays are also observed in children who spend excessive time in front of the screen.
“The motor and sensory delays are likely indirectly related to screen time. The more time children spend in front of screens, the less time they spend on physical activities that promote their sensory and motor development,” she said.
In fact, the number of personality disorders among adolescents is increasing.
Dr. Rakesh K. Chadda, head of the psychiatry department at Amrita Hospital in Faridabad, said that there has been a significant increase in cases of emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), also known as borderline personality disorder, among young people over the last two decades.
“This condition is more common in women than in men. If left untreated, it can severely impair social and occupational functioning and lead to associated mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse and an increased risk of suicide,” explains Dr. Chadda.
Increasing screen time, digital addiction and cyberbullying exacerbate mental health problems, leading to low mood, social isolation, self-harm and substance abuse.
PROMOTE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
The only way to limit screen time, experts say, is to encourage physical activity.
“Try to encourage creative activities in your child,” said Dr. Chhabra.
Experts stressed the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle and responsible use of technology at a young age to prevent personality disorders and other future mental health problems.
According to the WHO, increasing physical activity, reducing inactivity and ensuring good sleep in young children improves their physical and mental health and well-being. This can help prevent childhood obesity and related diseases later in life.
“To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more,” the WHO said.
Dr Juana Willumsen, WHO’s chief representative on obesity and physical activity in children, said: “What we really need to do is get children back into playing.”
What matters is the pattern of overall 24-hour activity: Replace prolonged restricted or sedentary screen time with more active play, while also ensuring young children get sufficient, high-quality sleep.
Quality inactive time should be spent on interactive, non-screen-based activities with a caregiver, such as reading, storytelling, singing and doing puzzles, as these are very important for the child’s development.
Mental health professionals, parents, educators and policy makers have a critical role to play in protecting the mental wellbeing of young people.
As screens increasingly replace traditional gaming and face-to-face communication, the consequences for development are becoming increasingly clear.
This requires a concerted effort to encourage the younger generation to lead a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.
