Screen time can keep us up-to-date on local and world news, provide information to help us live better lives, entertain us and keep us connected to family, friends and colleagues.
But too much screen time, encouraged by savvy algorithms that pinpoint and then gorge our interests, can degrade quality of life, separating us from those we love and from the physical world around us.
Children, in particular, are susceptible to the seduction of screen time. Too much of it can lead to withdrawal and deep psychological problems.
Many parents might feel ill-equipped to tackle this problem, particularly if their formative years came before the explosion of social media or, for older people raising a child, even before the birth of the internet.
It’s important to remember that not all screen time is dangerous or counterproductive. Educational TV programs, for example, can be delightful and engaging. Video calls with far-off grandparents can help foster family ties. Sharing a link to a funny video can lead to a new friendship. Online gaming can sharpen hand-eye coordination, hone strategic thinking and foster teamwork.
But internet screen time can quickly take older children to dark places where body shaming, sexually explicit content and various forms of bullying abound.
Too much screen time can also trigger disengagement with family, friends and school, and, at its darkest depths, suicidal ideation. The results of a study, released in 2025, by a Virginia Tech University child and adolescent psychiatry physician, found a common thread among teens who had attempted suicide: Most of them had been on their phone alone at night in the hours before they tried to end their life.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that average screen time, not including that spent on school work, consumes six hours for 8-10 year olds, nine for children 11-14 and seven and a half for 15-18 year olds. A CDC study from 2021-23 found that 27% of teens who spent four or more hours on screens daily experienced anxiety and 26% had depression symptoms within the two weeks before they were surveyed.
Too much screen time and exposure to poor-quality online programming has been linked to obesity, inadequate sleep, behavioral problems, delays in language and social skills development, violence, attention deficits and falling behind in school.
But there is hope.
Along with distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy screen time, the Mayo Clinic suggests adults take the following steps to help children avoid the pitfalls of negative screen time:
For young children:
• Preview programs, games and apps before allowing your child to engage.
• Consult Common Sense Media or another organization that rates and reviews programs for age-appropriate content.
• Seek out interactive options, instead of those that require just swiping or staring at a screen.
• Use parental controls to block or filter content.
• Stay close to your child during screen time to supervise.
• Watch programs with your child and discuss what you’re watching.
• Avoid programs that overstimulate the senses or have violent or distracting content.
For older children:
• Establish clear rules and set reasonable limits for use of digital media.
• Encourage unplugged, unstructured playtime.
• Create tech-free zones or times, such as mealtime or a night a week.
• Discourage use of digital media for entertainment or socializing during homework.
• Set and enforce screen time limits and curfews, such as no exposure to devices or screens an hour before bedtime.
• Consider using apps that control the length of time a child can use a device.
• Keep screens out of your child’s bedroom, with their devices charging in another room.
• Eliminate background TV.
While none of us are impervious to the perils of the digital world and the seduction of screen time, children need an adult to help them navigate the landmines.
Perhaps the most important thing you can do for your kids when it comes to screen time is this: Set a good example by being in the present when you’re with them, instead of scrolling on your phone.