Screen use and children's social and emotional wellbeing
Electronic screens are everywhere and are easily accessible to children. Almost every parent I see in clinic reports concerns that screens are ‘an issue’ in their household, and are concerned about the socio-emotional problems they may be causing their children.
A recently published study (see ref below) looked at 292,739 children across 117 studies and the overall conclusions were that screen use led to socio-emotional problems and socio-emotional problems led to greater screen use, with gaming behaviour being the more significant factor.
Social and emotional wellbeing is pivotal to children’s health, reflecting how they feel, behave, and cope with challenges. Children are said to have socio-emotional disorders when how they feel and what they do differ from the expectations of their developmental stage - such as aggression, withdrawal, or anxiety.
Children and adolescents spend an increasing amount of time on electronic screens for entertainment, homework, and socialisation with friends . A meta-analysis on the global prevalence of screen use among children found that three in four children younger than two years were being allowed screens, despite guidelines recommending they wait until two years.
Screen use grows as children get older. For example, among those aged 2–5 years, one in three children exceed screen time limits of 1 hr per day. A USA report showed that about half of American children aged 2–4 years had their own tablet or smartphone, and more than two thirds of 5-8 year olds. These 5-8 year olds spent an average of 3 hr per day on screens. Among older children (8–12 years), these numbers were even more concerning: 41% spend more than 4hrs per day using screens and 15% more than 8hrs per day.
Computers, televisions, smartphones, and tablets can all be used for different purposes (e.g. gaming, social media, entertainment, learning). Researchers have long identified that different content (e.g. Sesame Street vs. advertising vs. social media) has different effects, and they have increasingly explored the outcomes from different devices.
Children with TVs in their bedrooms engage less in non-electronic family activities (e.g. playing board games) compared to those without a TV in their own room.
Screen use therefore appears to displace opportunities to be physically active, to have regular and good-quality sleep, and to have positive social interactions with family and peers.
There is also the biopsychosocial model, which explains how socio-emotional problems can develop from deficits in physical needs such as sleep and physical activity. as we know, sleep is critical for emotional regulation and cognitive functioning, and when screen time disrupts sleep patterns, it can lead to increased anxiety, mood disturbances, and difficulties in emotional regulation. Similarly, physical activity is essential for reducing stress and promoting mental health. Therefore, one theory connecting screens and socio-emotional problems is how they displace protective behaviours - mainly sleep and physical activity.
The study showed there is moderate difference at different ages by gender. Across the whole sample, girls were at greater risk of developing socio-emotional problems following their interactions with screens. However, when looking at older children only, boys seemed at greater risk than girls. Specifically, compared to older girls, older boys were more likely to present socio-emotional problems over time and more likely to turn to screens when facing socio-emotional problems.
Conclusions
The study findings suggest that while all parents should be vigilant about their child’s gaming interactions—i.e. prioritising educational games and ensuring that recreational games are age-appropriate—the focus should intensify as children enter later developmental stages. Parents and policymakers need to consider a proactive approach to supporting children with socio-emotional difficulties. They may limit game use more tightly than educational screen time to prevent gaming from becoming a maladaptive coping mechanism.
Importantly, parenting style matters , even in the way parents put boundaries around screens: research indicates that an autonomy-supportive style of communicating gaming rules is generally more effective than a controlling approach . Managing screen use is just one of many strategies parents can use to prevent socio-emotional problems. Including interventions that foster positive peer relationships and family dynamics, enhance social skills, or provide emotional support are all valuable too. It is recommended that parents remain actively involved in their child’s gaming interactions for as long as possible. This continued involvement may help strengthen parent–child relationships, mitigating the chances of children becoming compulsive gamers. By doing that, parents and caregivers can help create a more supportive environment that addresses the root causes of problematic gaming and socio-emotional problems.
Screen time guidelines should focus not just on limiting use, but also on encouraging positive content, social interaction, and reducing high-risk behaviours like excessive gaming.
Public impact statement from the study:
Our review found that screen use can contribute to socio-emotional problems, and children with these problems are more likely to use screens as a coping mechanism. The effects appeared stronger for gaming. These links highlight the need for close attention from parents, researchers, and policymakers. Our findings support screen time guidelines that not only limit exposure time but also emphasise content quality and a positive social context. Parents should consider monitoring not just how long children are on screens, but also what they are doing and who they are interacting with. Some types of screen use, like coviewing with parents, seem to have few harms, if any. Parents may be able to avoid a cycle of screen use by supporting their socio-emotional development in other ways.
Ref:
https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-24348-001.html