Weighing the risks and benefits of screen time for children

As screen time becomes more and more present in the lives of children, parents need the best information to help to guide their decisions. By collating all of the meta-analytic evidence from across the field, we hope to provide that evidence.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

cancel any time

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles

133,45 € per year

only 11,12 € per issue

Buy this article

• Purchase on SpringerLink
• Instant access to full article PDF

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

1. The Lancet. Social media, screen time, and young people’s mental health. Lancet393, 611 (2019). An editorial that summarizes the state of the field for screen time and mental health.ArticleCASPubMedGoogle Scholar
2. Screen time: how much is too much? Nature565, 265–266 (2019). An editorial summarizing some of the weaknesses in screen time research.
3. United States Surgeon General. Social media and youth mental health. hhs.gov, https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/youth-mental-health/social-media/index.html (2023). Recent advice from the US Surgeon General regarding young people’s engagement with social media.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Sanders, T. et al. An umbrella review of the benefits and risks associated with youths’ interactions with electronic screens. Nat. Hum. Behav. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01712-8 (2023)

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Weighing the risks and benefits of screen time for children. Nat Hum Behav 8, 16–17 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01713-7

• Published : 13 November 2023
• Issue Date : January 2024
• DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01713-7

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Get shareable link

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Copy to clipboard

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative