Teen on cell phone, Source Flickr.com/photos/prefvotuporanga/14804623046, Author ASCOM Prefeitura de Votuporanga, (CC Attribution 2.0 Generic)
With smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs, and game consoles everywhere, children are being exposed to more screen time than ever. Teens and tweens now spend between 5.5 hours and 8.7 hours per day on their devices [1][2].
This crowds out offline activities like art, music, reading, biking, hobbies, clubs, sports, gardening, hiking, camping, and volunteer work.
That is not insignificant. Little wonder that an increasing number of schools are banning cell phones during class hours [3].
When children interact face-to-face with others, they are developing social skills that will benefit them in the long run. When they move physically while learning, they are not simply burning energy. They are establishing neural connections that enhance memory and understanding [4].
On the other hand, when children do not have sufficient face-to-face interaction with peers they may struggle to interpret facial expressions and body language, have difficulty making friends, and develop outright social anxiety [5].
It is well documented that screen time is, also, associated with childhood obesity and depression in children [6][7][8][9].
What Parents Can Do
Parents should, of course, set limits on screen time for their children and boundaries for content characterized by violence, pornography, and/or grooming.
Setting a good example can be helpful. So can designating tech-free zones like the dinner table, and scheduling family activities that do not involve electronic devices.
There are now apps which assist parents with this task. Aura, Qustodio, Norton, Bitdefender, Surfshark, and Bark are examples [10][14]. These implement time limits and block certain websites.
Brick is both an app and a physical device that allows users to better manage their screen time [11]. It blocks distracting apps and notifications, preventing mindless scrolling.
The Grayscale Mode can, also, be enabled on cell phones and computers [12][13]. This removes color from the screen, transforming color images into grey. It is not only restful for the eyes, but makes images less attractive to the viewer.
As parents and concerned adults it is our responsibility to protect children from harm. That requires regulating their use of the many electronic devices available to them today.
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[1] CDC, “Daily Screen Time Among Teenagers: United States, July 2021 – December 2023” by Benjamin Zablotsky PhD et al, October 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db513.htm.
[2] American Academy of Pediatrics, “Average Amount of Screen Time for Children and Young Adults”, https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/center-of-excellence-on-social-media-and-youth-mental-health/qa-portal/qa-portal-library/qa-portal-library-questions/average-amounts-of-screen-time/.
[3] ABC News, “Here are the states banning cell phones in schools and what it means for students” by Arthur Jones II and Aidan Gellert, 9/15/25, https://abcnews.com/Politics/states-banning-cellphones-schools/story?id=125515186.
[4] Kids Mental Health, “Fun Health Activities that Actually Get Kids Excited about Wellness” by “Don”, 5/7/25, https://www.kidsmentalhealth.ca/fun-health-activities-that-actually-get-kids-excited-about-wellness/.
[5] My Wellness Hub, “10 Common Reasons Why Children Face Social Skill Challenges” by “Rajini D”, 3/4/25, https://www.mywellnesshub.in/blog/kids-social-skills-struggles-solutions/.
[6] Springer, “Screen time increases overweight and obesity risk among adolescents: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis” by Purya Haghjoo et all, 6/28/22, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12875-022-01761-4.
[7] UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, “Childhood Obesity and Screen Time”, https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/childhood-obesity-and-screen-time.
[8] CDC, “Associations between Screen Time Use and Health Outcomes among US Teenagers” by Benjamin Zablotsky PhD et al, 7/10/25, https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2025/24_0537.htm.
[9] University of California/San Francisco (UCSF), “For Preteens, More Screen Time Is Tied to Depression, Anxiety Later” by Jess Berthold, 10/7/24, https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2024/10/428581/preteens-more-screen-time-tied-depression-anxiety-later.
[10] Privacy Guide, “Best Parental Control Apps for 2026”, https://www.privacyguide.com/best-parental-control/?lp=default&utm_source=microsoft&utm_medium=cpc&sgv_medium=search&utm_campaign=688905872&utm_content=1262241065445554&utm_term=parental%20control&cid=78890174137523&pl=&feeditemid=&targetid=kwd-78890582462301:loc-190&mt=p&network=o&device=c&adpos=&p1=&p2=&geoid=89003&sgv_msclkid=476a1a7ce21d1e2dc3d173cfdb0b6e86&msclkid=476a1a7ce21d1e2dc3d173cfdb0b6e86.
[11] Healthline, “We Tried the Brick Phone Lock and the Struggle Was Real” by Chloe Szilagyi, medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan PhD and RN, 3/3/26, https://www.healthline.com/health/brick-phone-lock-review.
[12] Techbloat, “How to Enable Grayscale Mode on Android and iOS”, 1/22/25, https://www.techbloat.com/how-to-enable-grayscale-mode-on-android-and-ios.html.
[13] Techbloat, “How to Disable or Enable Grayscale Mode in Windows 11”, https://www.techbloat.com/how-to-disable-or-enable-grayscale-mode-in-windows-11.html.
[14] Trusted Parental Control, “Best Parental Control Apps for 2026”, https://trustedparentalcontrol.com/comparison/p-apps-new-b/?source=bing&medium=cpc&campaign_id=523800099&adgroup_id=1318317177918021&ad_id=82395070990728&keyword=bark%20app&match_type=e&device=c&msclkid=671547824fdf1985c33d2e360cbd7c81&query_string=bark%20app.
Beginning in Spring 2027, children in the United Kingdom under the age of 16 will no longer be allowed access to Facebook, Snapchat, X, TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube. Additional restrictions will apply to livestreaming and stranger communication.
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