An umbrella review of the benefits and risks associated with youths’ interactions with electronic screens

Taren Sanders*, Michael Noetel, Philip Parker, Borja Del Pozo Cruz, Stuart Biddle, Rimante Ronto, Ryan Hulteen, Rhiannon Parker, George Thomas, Katrien De Cocker, Jo Salmon, Kylie Hesketh, Nicole Weeks, Hugh Arnott, Emma Devine, Roberta Vasconcellos, Rebecca Pagano, Jamie Sherson, James Conigrave, Chris Lonsdale

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

The influence of electronic screens on the health of children and adolescents and their education is not well understood. In this prospectively registered umbrella review (PROSPERO identifier CRD42017076051), we harmonized effects from 102 meta-analyses (2,451 primary studies; 1,937,501 participants) of screen time and outcomes. In total, 43 effects from 32 meta-analyses met our criteria for statistical certainty. Meta-analyses of associations between screen use and outcomes showed small-to-moderate effects (range: r = –0.14 to 0.33). In education, results were mixed; for example, screen use was negatively associated with literacy (r = –0.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = –0.20 to –0.09, P ≤ 0.001, k = 38, N = 18,318), but this effect was positive when parents watched with their children (r = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.28, P = 0.028, k = 12, N = 6,083). In health, we found evidence for several small negative associations; for example, social media was associated with depression (r = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.19, P ≤ 0.001, k = 12, N = 93,740). Limitations of our review include the limited number of studies for each outcome, medium-to-high risk of bias in 95 out of 102 included meta-analyses and high heterogeneity (17 out of 22 in education and 20 out of 21 in health with I 2 > 50%). We recommend that caregivers and policymakers carefully weigh the evidence for potential harms and benefits of specific types of screen use.

Original languageEnglish
JournalNature Human Behaviour
Volume8
Pages (from-to)82-99
ISSN2397-3374
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2024

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • Bias
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Parents
  • Risk Assessment

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