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Below are negative effects of screen time including current American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization recommendations for screen time.

At the bottom is a summary of child, teen, and adult screen time negative effects.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have made screen time recommendations. AAP calls for no screen time at all for children until 18 to 24 months, except for video chatting, and reports children ages 2 to 5 should get an hour or less of screen time per day. The WHO similarly recommends no screens for kids under 2, and less than an hour a day for kids 2 to 5.

“The basic pattern that has been found in dozens of studies is that children learn better from a person who is with them face-to-face than from a person on a screen, even if it’s the exact same person doing the exact same thing,” says Georgene Troseth, PhD, a psychologist at Vanderbilt University.

Evidence is strong that screens aren’t an effective teaching tool for the baby and toddler set, and they could displace the kinds of face-to-face interactions that actually help young kids learn. A 2005 review led by developmental psychologist Daniel Anderson, PhD, now a professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, found that television viewing consistently failed to teach kids age 2 and younger as much as live interaction (American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 48, No. 5, 2005). This “video deficit” was seen in simple imitation tasks, in language learning and in emotional learning.

Research has shown evidence to support limiting screen time for babies and young children. One longitudinal study of 2,441 mothers and children, led by University of Calgary psychologist Sheri Madigan, PhD, found that more time per week spent on screens at ages 24 months and 36 months was linked with poorer performance on screening tests for behavioral, cognitive and social development at 36 months (JAMA Pediatrics, Vol. 173, No. 3, 2019).

Early data from a landmark National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that began in 2018 indicates that children who spent more than two hours a day on screen-time activities scored lower on language and thinking tests, and some children with more than seven hours a day of screen time experienced thinning of the brain’s cortex, the area of the brain related to critical thinking and reasoning.

Increasing screen times results in increase of blue light. Blue light coming from any screen has been shown to disrupt sleep. There are filters in certain devices, but not all have this capability.

Correlational studies have shown that 8- to 11-year-olds who exceed screen time recommendations scored lower on cognitive assessments(The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, Vol. 2, No. 11, 2018). A combination of screen time and too little sleep has also been associated with heightened impulsivity in the same age group (Pediatrics, Vol. 144, No. 3, 2019).

Muscles around the eye, like any others, can get tired from continued use. Concentrating on a screen for extended periods can cause concentration difficulties and headaches centered around the temple and eyes. Children may also use screen devices where lighting is less than ideal, causing fatigue from squinting.

Gazing at the same distance for an extended time can cause the eye's focusing system to spasm or temporarily "lock up." This condition, called an accommodation spasm, causes a child's vision to blur when he or she looks away from the screen. Some studies also suggest computer use and other close-up indoor activities may fuel rising rates of myopia (nearsightedness) among children, although this is not yet proven. More time playing outside may result in healthier vision development in children.

Studies show that people blink significantly less often when concentrating on a digital screen, which can leave eyes dry and irritated. Desktop and laptop computer use can be especially tough on children's eyes, because they're usually situated higher up in the visual field than a book, for example. As a result, the upper eyelids tend to be open wider—speeding up evaporation of the eye's tear film.

The firmest associations are between screen time and obesity and screen time and depressive symptoms, according to a systematic review of reviews published by University College London (UCL) psychologist Neza Stiglic, PhD, and Russell Viner, PhD, a professor of adolescent health at UCL (BMJ Open, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2019). Most research on obesity focused on television viewing and found that more time spent watching TV was associated with a higher body mass index or body fat composition. Multiple studies also found that screen use of more than two hours a day was correlated with depressive symptoms. The reviewers found moderate evidence linking screen time to poorer quality of life, higher caloric intake and less-healthy diets.

There is evidence that children who watch a lot of television during the early elementary school years perform less well on reading tests and may show deficits in attention.

According to one study, infants 6 to 12 months old who were exposed to screens in the evening showed significantly shorter nighttime sleep than those who had no evening screen exposure.

For preteens and teenagers, excessive use of screens late at night will affect their sleep, and keeping screens out of the bedroom is advised. Too much time spent on social media as well as lack of sleep can affect behavior and cognitive performance in school and interfere with learning. It has also been shown that excessive screen time and sleep deprivation are linked to obesity, which in turn can affect self-esteem and lead to social isolation and more screen time.

Children

According to a recent study, 92 percent of babies had used a mobile device before their first birthday. Nearly 35 percent have their own mobile device at age 2 and that number is 75 percent among 4-year-olds. Nearly a quarter of kids ages 2 and under have TVs in their rooms, and at age 4, almost 50 percent do. On the other hand, the American Academy of Pediatrics Studies suggest that screen time may be affecting the normal development of fundamental learning, language, and emotional skills.

Learning. Kids younger than 30 months have a limited ability to learn from video, according to some studies. They learn more from live interaction with people and immediate feedback. The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use by children under 2 and says there is no proven educational or developmental benefit at this age. Screen time also takes away from unstructured play time, which is important for learning and problem solving.
Language skills. Research has shown that TV can hamper language development in kids by displacing time spent interacting with caregivers.
Emotional development. Some experts worry that using digital devices as “shut-up” toys to occupy kids during day-to-day tasks like grocery shopping or eating out might prevent them from learning how to regulate boredom, distress, and other impulses and emotions.
Vision. In recent years, many countries are experiencing epidemic levels of myopia, or short-sightedness, and indoor time may be to blame.
Sleep. Research has linked screen use among children with shorter, lower-quality sleep. A 2014 review paper of school-aged kids and adolescents correlated screen time with poorer sleep. They saw especially strong links between screen time and delays in bedtime, as well as a shorter period of time spent asleep. A study published a year later found that compared with kids who didn’t sleep near a small screen (like a cellphone screen), those who did sleep near a small screen reported about 20 fewer minutes of sleep and were more likely to report insufficient rest or sleep.
Weight. Several studies have found that the more TV children watch, the more like they are to be overweight. Kids with TVs in their bedrooms are more at risk, and childhood TV habits affect the risk of being overweight as adults.

Teens

During the preteen and teen years, the brain goes through major transformations. This may be why teens are especially vulnerable to the impacts of screen time on brain function and emotional well-being.

Learning. One study found that kids and young adults who spend a lot of time on TV and video games were twice as likely to suffer from attention disorders.
Self-confidence. More time watching videos or other content on digital devices means less time exploring and creating their own experiences, stories, or art.
Social skills. Online experiences can build community and foster communication and creativity. Teens might hide behind the screen to avoid tricky or awkward conversations. That lack of face-to-face interaction can also feed online bullying.
Emotions and personality. In 2010, researchers found that kids who logged more than two hours a day in front of a computer or TV screens had a higher chance of psychological difficulties on a standard questionnaire. Studies in young men show that playing violent video games is linked to more aggression and less sensitivity to others. Also, imaging studies have found that internet addiction and game addiction can shrink the brain regions responsible for planning and executive functions, empathy, compassion, and impulse control.
Addiction and reward seeking. A recent survey found that 50 percent of teenagers admitted being addicted to their mobile devices. The brain’s dopamine center is extra sensitive during the teenage years, making the rush of playing video games feel even more intense and addictive.
Sleep. Similar to the findings in adults, screen time can have damaging effects on sleep. A 2015 study of 10,000 16- to 19-year-olds in Norway reported that those who clocked in four or more hours of screen time a day (outside of schoolwork and homework) had about a 50 percent higher likelihood of lying awake for an hour or more before finally falling asleep. And according to a recent study, lack of sleep with teens is linked to more risky behaviors like drinking and driving.
Weight and overall health. Just like in adults, watching two or more hours of TV is linked to weight gain in this age group. Studies have also noted higher cholesterol and blood pressure in kids who watch more TV.

Adults

A 2014 Nielsen report found that adults log a total of 11 hours of screen time a day. Here are some of the ways this might be affecting our health:

Vision. Staring into a screen for extended periods of time can cause “computer vision syndrome.” You’re probably familiar with the symptoms: strained, dry eyes, blurred vision, and headaches. Poor posture can also cause neck and shoulder pain.
Sleep. Studies link heavy computer and mobile phone use to more sleep disturbances. Blue light from digital devices suppresses the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, keeping us from having restful sleep.
Addiction and reward seeking. Dopamine, the “feel-good hormone,” is part of the brain’s pleasure and reward circuits. Playing video games turns on similar brain regions as those linked to cravings for drugs and gambling.
Weight. Even two hours of TV a day can increase the risk of weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease in adults. There are probably several factors to blame, including less active time, less sleep, and seeing more ads for unhealthy foods.
Overall health. Most of the time we’re on our screens, we’re sitting down. Sitting for hours at a time boosts the risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. One study found that spending more than four hours a day in front of a computer or TV more than doubles your likelihood of dying or being hospitalized for heart disease and exercise won’t reduce the risk.