The Impact of Screen Time on the Health of the Pediatric Population: Short- and Long-Term Consequences for Lifestyle, Ophthalmology, and Mental Health.

Publication date: Nov 01, 2025

This review analyzes extensive scientific data linking screen time to a wide range of health problems in the pediatric population and divides them into short-term and long-term health effects. Excessive exposure to screen media negatively affects many aspects of the health of children and adolescents. We can observe negative effects that translate into patients’ lifestyles as well as ophthalmological and mental health problems. After analyzing the studies, the most common short-term consequences, such as obesity, sleep disorders, and dry eye syndrome, were identified. Many studies have highlighted the impact of particularly long periods of screen time, more than 3-4 hours. The health consequences that manifest themselves later include hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and myopia. This impact also extends to mental health, where there is a clear correlation between long screen time and a higher incidence of anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems. Evidence indicates an increase in children’s screen time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the continuing high level of screen time, associated not only with entertainment but also with the transfer of certain activities to an online format, despite the end of the pandemic, public health interventions and educational strategies are urgently needed to mitigate these negative effects and promote a healthy lifestyle among children, which will translate into the health of the entire population in the future.

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Semantics

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