Only a minority of children aged 5 years and younger are meeting screen time guidelines, highlighting the need for support and resources for families to implement evidence-based recommendations.

Global Prevalence of Meeting Screen Time Guidelines Among Children 5 Years and Younger: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Improved measures and reporting of screen time exposure in young children are needed to better understand their complex digital landscape and impact on health and development.

Measurement of screen time among young children aged 0–6 years: A systematic review

Screen time in excess of 2 hours/day is highly prevalent in children aged 4-17, particularly among boys, overweight or obese individuals, and those with lower educational attainment.

Prevalence and correlates of screen time in youth: an international perspective.

Screen time research needs improved conceptualisation, standardised measures, and user-focused approaches to better understand its various affordances and impacts.

The Conceptual and Methodological Mayhem of “Screen Time”

Screen time is negatively associated with sleep outcomes in 90% of studies, primarily shortened duration and delayed timing, in school-aged children and adolescents.

Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: a systematic literature review.

Increased screen time in children 12 years or younger is associated with small but significant increases in externalizing and internalizing behavior problems.

Association of Screen Time With Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior Problems in Children 12 Years or Younger: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Increased screen time in young people has a small to very small impact on the prevalence of depressive symptoms, but no clear relationship exists with other internalizing mental health symptoms.

The relationship between screen time and mental health in young people: A systematic review of longitudinal studies.

Increased screen time and early viewing age negatively impact children's language development, with older viewing age showing some benefits, while video characteristics, content, and co-viewing also influence language development.

The influence of screen time on children’s language development: A scoping review

High screen time in infants and toddlers is linked to factors such as age, race/ethnicity, BMI, maternal distress, TV viewing, and cognitive stimulation in the home environment.

Screen time use in children under 3 years old: a systematic review of correlates

Screen time quantity is irrelevant, as it fails to consider the complex context and meaning of media use in children, rather focusing on dosage models and regulatory admonitions.

The Problem with Screen Time

Screen time is common among North American Indigenous populations, with greater screen time in children/youth and overweight/obese individuals.

A systematic review and meta‐analysis of screen time behaviour among North American indigenous populations

Higher levels of screentime in children and adolescents are associated with increased obesity, depressive symptoms, and poorer quality of life.

Effects of screentime on the health and well-being of children and adolescents: a systematic review of reviews

Increased screen time in adolescents is associated with an increased risk of depression, with upward social comparison and reinforcing spirals being more significant factors than displacement.

Association of Screen Time and Depression in Adolescence.

A preschool-based intervention can effectively reduce young children's television/video viewing and reduce aggressive behavior, but does not affect BMI z scores.

An intervention to preschool children for reducing screen time: a randomized controlled trial.

Limiting screen-time in under-five children can improve their overall health, with interventions like increasing physical activity, reducing BMI, improving sleep, and dietary behaviors showing effectiveness.

Screen Time in Under-five Children

Preschoolers spending more than 1 hour a day on screens are at increased risk for behavioral problems, delayed milestone achievement, and poorer vocabulary acquisition.

Screen time and developmental and behavioral outcomes for preschool children

Digital screen time may increase the risk of developing myopia or myopia progression in children.

The association between digital screen time and myopia: A systematic review

High screen time is associated with unfavourable psychological outcomes for children and adolescents, while green time is associated with favourable psychological outcomes.

Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review

Longer sleep duration is associated with reduced problem behaviors in children, while more screen time is associated with increased problem behaviors.

Screen time and problem behaviors in children: exploring the mediating role of sleep duration

These studies suggest that excessive screen time in children is associated with negative impacts on sleep, behavior, and language development, while also highlighting the need for improved measurement and understanding of screen time's complex effects.