Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Screen-Overload

Symptoms of Television Addiction

The Research Lag

Much of the research on screentime has been devoted to its impact on children but, as we all are aware, adults are also prone to overuse.

Time in front of screens is up significantly from the last survey in 2015, which is even more alarming when you consider that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends significantly less screentime than kids are getting.

In 2001, the AAP, citing concerns over possible links of excess screentime to aggressive behavior, poor body image, obesity, and decreased school performance, set a guideline of two hours of screentime maximum for children aged 2 and older and no screens for those under 2.In 2016, those guidelines were reduced to one hour for children aged 2 to 5, and more open-ended “consistent limits” were recommended for kids 6 and up, along with the advice to implement age-appropriate supervision and to teach children media-savvy skills.

Clearly, today’s children are far surpassing the recommended limits. Smartphone ownership has also increased sharply with 69% of 12-year-olds now having a phone in their pockets, compared with just 41% in 2015. Today, nearly 90% of high schoolers and over 50% of 11-year-olds are smartphone owners as well.

As we all know, if you have a smartphone (or any other electronic device), you also have the potential for 24-hour access to television and other content via streaming. While overuse is all too common, the relative ability or inability to self-regulate viewing time and choosing screentime to the exclusion of other activities is a key indicator of a problem.

The Stress of Constantly Checking Your Phone

One pertinent study is the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s ongoing, large scale Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD Study) project. The ABCD Study, which began in 2016, is following nearly 12,000 youth over 10 years to determine the effects of screentime on brain development, among other social and environmental factors.

The one electronic activity addiction that has gained official legitimacy is gaming addiction, which was listed as a potential disorder in need of further research in the DSM-5.

What Is Video Game Addiction?

Alarmingly, rates of many mental health concerns, from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to suicide,are also on the rise—and some wonder if this may be, in part, related to skyrocketing screentime. In fact, a 2018 study inPediatrics, found a link between screentime, quantity of sleep, and impulsivity-related disorders.These findings echo what many parents and experts see as a link between screens and the exacerbation of ADHD symptoms and other behavioral and mental health issues in children.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and How Does It Work?

A Word From Verywell

14 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

Sussman S, Moran MB.Hidden addiction: Television.J Behav Addict. 2013;2(3):125–132. doi:10.1556/jba.2.2013.008

American Academy of Pediatrics: Children, adolescents, and television.Pediatrics. 2001;107(2):423-6. doi:10.1542/peds.107.2.423

American Academy of Pediatrics.Digital Guidelines: Promoting Healthy Technology Use for Children.

Alavi SS, Ferdosi M, Jannatifard F, Eslami M, Alaghemandan H, Setare M.Behavioral addiction versus substance addiction: Correspondence of psychiatric and psychological views.Int J Prev Med. 2012;3(4):290–294.

Grant JE, Potenza MN, Weinstein A, Gorelick DA.Introduction to behavioral addictions.Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2010;36(5):233–241. doi:10.3109/00952990.2010.491884

Flayelle M, Maurage P, Billieux J.Toward a qualitative understanding of binge-watching behaviors: A focus group approach.J Behav Addict. 2017;6(4):457–471. doi:10.1556/2006.6.2017.060

Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD Study). National Institute on Drug Abuse.

National Institute of Mental Health.Suicide.

Guerrero MD, Barnes JD, Walsh JJ, Chaput JP, Tremblay MS, Goldfield GS.24-Hour movement behaviors and impulsivity.Pediatrics. 2019;144(3). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-0187

Veerman J, Healy G, Cobiac L, et al.Television viewing time and reduced life expectancy: A life table analysis.Br J Sports Med. 2012;46(13):927-930. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2011-085662

Zhao H, Tian W, Xin T.The development and validation of the online shopping addiction scale.Front Psychol. 2017;8:735. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00735

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?