Children who spend excessive time in front of screens:

• are less likely to achieve the recommended levels of physical activity
• often eat food out of habit, not listening to hunger cues
• are more likely to consume high sugar, high fat foods, low in nutrient value
• are more likely to be influenced by junk food advertising.

Screens give off blue light, which blocks the release of melatonin- a hormone released by the brain in response to darkness helping children fall asleep.

Screen use at night makes it harder for children to fall asleep and stay asleep. 

The light emitted from screens has been shown to prevent sleep onset and keep minds active when they are needing to wind down for the day.

Children who spend excessive time in front of screens are less likely to be getting the recommended levels of quality sleep. This can affect a child's: 

• attention
• concentration and
• behaviour in the days that follow.

Tip: Avoid screens at least one hour before bed and keep screens out of the bedroom to help your child's sleep.

Ongoing low sleep in children are linked to:

• fluctuating weight management
• poor mood
• behaviour issues.

Excessive screen use can isolate children from what is happening around them. Excessive screen use can isolate children from what is happening around them. They can miss out on opportunities to play, talk and connect with others. For example:

• families may miss out on small, everyday interactions, helping build healthy relationships
• friendships may be affected as children sit alongside each other on screens instead of interacting and communicating with each other in the moment
• children can miss opportunities to develop language and speech through play and verbal interactions with others.

There is evidence showing that children who engage with violent content, are more likely to:

• have pessimistic or negative outlooks on life
• show aggressive behaviour
• perceive aggressive behaviour as normal.

Talk to your child about what is appropriate to view and share online and to think twice before posting messages and images.

See Online safety for more information.

Bad posture during excessive screen time can lead to further physical concerns like neck and back pain.

Ideally, screens should be positioned just below your child’s line of vision approximately 50cm away with a neutral neck position.

When children stare at screens for long periods, it causes dry, tired eyes. This can lead to eye strain and fatigue throughout the day.

Short-sightedness, or Myopia, is when children can see things clearly close up, but have trouble seeing things far away. Consistent screen use can increase the chance of children developing short-sightedness, impacting:

• learning and development at school
• further management like prescription glasses or surgery
• chances of developing eye disease later in life

Research has shown that children who spend

• more time outdoors and
• less time on screens

are less likely to develop short-sightedness as they age.

Click here to learn more about Myopia.