By Jenny Peterson
Like it or not, screens are everywhere. Tablets at restaurants, phones in the carpool line, gaming consoles after school, YouTube before bed. For many families, managing screen time feels like a constant tug-of-war, especially when parents are trying to balance concerns about mental health with the reality that technology is now part of everyday life.
Research continues to show that how kids use technology — and how much — can have a real impact on emotional well-being.
A 2025 study published in the American Psychological Association reviewed 132 long-term studies involving more than 292,000 children. It found something important: the relationship between screen use and mental health goes both ways.
More screen time can contribute to emotional and behavioral problems, and kids already struggling with anxiety, depression and attention issues are also more likely to turn to screens for comfort. In other words, it can become a cycle.
A child feels stressed or lonely, so they retreat into gaming, scrolling or binge-watching. But too much screen time can also mean less sleep, less movement, fewer face-to-face conversations and less time building healthy coping skills — all of which can make emotional struggles worse over time.
Screen Time and Mental Health
These findings line up with what Dr. Rakin Hoq, a psychiatrist and director of child psychiatry consultation at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, is seeing firsthand. He has spoken about the topic at the Mount Pleasant Library event The Digital Balance: Supporting Youth Mental Health.
“What we know from the research so far is that digital devices are absolutely interfering with academics and mental health,” Hoq said in an interview on the MUSC website. “Digital devices are here to stay. We can’t completely control or restrict their access or their use. That’s not realistic. But we need to figure out some boundaries in order to have balanced use that isn’t leading to complications or adverse effects.”
Gaming, Social Media and the Brain
Researchers found the strongest link with gaming. Kids who spent more time gaming were more likely to develop socioemotional problems later, and children already dealing with emotional difficulties were also more likely to increase their gaming habits.
While many online games offer creativity, connection and stress relief, excessive gaming can replace healthier outlets like friendships, physical activity, sleep and family interaction.
Hoq says part of the issue is how digital devices affect the brain’s reward system.
“They give the brain a high level of stimulation that’s not replicated by anything close in the natural world,” he said. “Our brains naturally gravitate toward rapid stimulation for our reward center.”
That constant stream of notifications, videos and fast-paced content can make offline life — school, homework, even regular conversation — feel slower and less engaging by comparison.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no regular screen use for children under 2 except video chatting. For ages 2 to 5, they suggest limiting screen time to about one hour a day of high-quality educational programming.
Better Screen Time
As children get older, experts say a compromise shouldn’t just be “less screen time.” It should be better screen time.
That means paying attention not only to how long kids are on screens, but what they’re watching and who they’re interacting with. Watching an educational show together isn’t the same as endless solo scrolling on TikTok.
Playing a game with friends can be very different from isolated late-night gaming sessions. Video chatting with grandparents isn’t the same as going down YouTube rabbit holes.
The content and context matter, especially when in March, a California jury found tech giant Meta harmed a young user with design features that were addictive and led to her mental health distress.
Many parents use screens as a survival tool, but when screens become the default solution for boredom or during a kid meltdown, instead of learning how to sit with discomfort, problem-solve, or calm themselves, children learn to escape it with a screen.
Once kids start using social media, comparison, peer pressure and age-inappropriate content are risks, especially as studies show that as children get older, parental “co-viewing” of content drops significantly.
Hoq has been watching South Carolina’s year-long restrictions on cellphone use in schools, which aim to reduce distractions and improve learning environments.
Still, he is quick to point out that technology isn’t all bad.
“Kids that never could find a social circle before (can) find some belonging (online) somewhere,” he said.
Building Digital Balance
The takeaway is balance.
Parents don’t need to become anti-technology crusaders. They just need to stay vigilant.
That can look like asking what your child is watching instead of only checking how long they’ve been watching, keeping devices out of bedrooms at night, or encouraging sports, reading, outdoor play and downtime that doesn’t involve a screen.
In a world where screens aren’t going away, the goal isn’t total unplugging. It’s helping kids build healthier relationships with technology and stronger relationships with the people around them.
