The physical and mental well-being of millions of children worldwide may be at risk due to excessive screen time, according to global data analyzed in a new series of research papers published by the medical journal The Lancet. Co-author Jay Shaw, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, stated that the research makes a strong case for youth screen addiction to be treated as a public health issue requiring government intervention. Researchers reviewed data from 2,790 studies involving more than nine million participants. For children aged 10 and under, excessive screen time was linked to reduced sleep and impacts on cognitive, emotional, and social development. Among young people aged 10 to 24, implications ranged from mental health challenges and decreased physical activity to substance abuse, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. Shaw noted that the harms associated with digital media use have become very clear globally. Dr. Rachel Mitchell, a psychiatrist at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, emphasized that tech and social media companies must share responsibility. She explained that most digital platforms were not designed for young people and use features like autoplay, push notifications, and gamification to capture constant attention. While adults with fully developed frontal lobes struggle to limit screen use, society should not expect children to manage it alone. Shaw compared the situation to public health interventions regarding smoking, suggesting society may be at a ‘big tobacco moment’ with technology. However, Mitchell pointed out that unlike cigarettes, which offer no real benefits, digital devices serve many practical purposes in daily life when used in moderation and for education. Researchers argue that assessing the true severity of the issue is difficult without access to tech companies’ proprietary user data, which corporations are currently not obligated to share. Experts emphasize that the risks are too high and widespread for parents to handle alone, urging governments and tech platforms to step in and make digital spaces safe.
Source: cbc.ca
