Digital Dangers – The adverse effects of screens on children
This article is about the growing adversities experienced by children and adolescents who spend time on screens. It does not dismiss the benefits of screens but encourages us to think that there should be a balance in utilising screens, as the adversities pose greater danger if not used responsibly. I have consolidated scientific evidence and incorporated my experience in clinical practice in this article. I have used some hypothetical narrations to explain some concepts, and these are based on my clinical experience. The names used are not real, and the stories are unrelated to any specific patient.
It will be beneficial to explore brain development in adolescents before understanding the impact of screens on them. Adolescence is a period of remarkable transformation, both physically, emotionally, and in the brain. As your child moves from childhood toward adulthood, you will notice greater independence and a desire to be treated more like an adult, especially between ages 16 and 18. However, it’s crucial to remember that while adolescents may look and act more mature, their brains are still immature.
The Ongoing Development of the Prefrontal Cortex
The prefrontal cortex, located just behind the forehead, is the part of the brain responsible for planning, decision-making, self-control, and understanding consequences. This region is one of the last areas of the brain to mature fully, and this process continues well into the mid-20s.
Because the prefrontal cortex is still developing, teenagers rely more on other brain regions, like the amygdala, which is involved in emotion and impulse, when making decisions. An underdeveloped prefrontal cortex means adolescents may find it harder to control impulses and delay gratification, be more susceptible to peer pressure and emotional decision-making and take more risks, sometimes even when they understand the dangers.
The adolescent brain is wired to seek new experiences and rewards, but the systems that help weigh long-term consequences and resist temptation are still under construction. This means that even though your adolescents may be given more freedom and responsibility, their ability to consistently make well-reasoned, long-term decisions is still developing.
Adolescence is a sensitive developmental period, and social development is an integral part of it. However, screens and virtual space hamper the development of meaningful relationships.
Conformity Bias and Adolescents: Navigating Social Media Pressures
Fitting in with peers becomes especially important in adolescence, and conformity bias plays a significant role in shaping behaviour, even without direct peer pressure. For many teenagers, observing what others are doing at school or within their social circles can powerfully influence their choices, including how they use screens and social media.
Why Do Teens Conform?
During adolescence, the desire to belong and gain social approval is heightened, especially when encountering a new environment. Teens often compare themselves to others and may change their behaviours to match group norms, even if it means doing things they might not personally choose. This drive to conform peaks in early to mid-adolescence (around ages 14–15) and gradually decreases as teens mature and develop a stronger sense of self. However, while this conformity can help teens form social bonds, it can also lead them to adopt habits, like excessive screen time or risky social media use, simply because “everyone else is doing it.”
Social Media and the Need to Belong
Social media platforms amplify conformity pressures. Teens see peers constantly online, sharing updates and participating in trends, which can make them feel left out if they don’t join in. The feedback loops of likes, comments, and shares provide immediate social validation, making it even harder for adolescents to resist conforming to group behaviours. The adolescent brain is especially sensitive to social feedback and less able to control impulses, making it easier to get “hooked” on these digital interactions.
Conforming to peer behaviors online can expose adolescents to negative influences, such as cyberbullying, unhealthy comparison, and tech addiction. The need to fit in may also cause anxiety and stress, particularly for those who struggle to say no or feel pressured to maintain a specific online image.
Adolescents are navigating a complex social world, both online and offline. Recognising the impact of conformity bias can empower parents to guide their teens toward more mindful and independent decision-making.
Biases in virtual space
In their quest for conformity to the group’s existing norms, young people can be affected by what is referred to as prestige bias. Young people can seek out people with the most followers and then start to follow and even emulate them. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the influencer is doing socially acceptable things, but instead has the most followers.
Young people, therefore, are anchored to the person influencing them and could attempt to follow the influencer’s messages (anchor bias). Social media is known to give validation for people’s actions from other members. Once they receive “likes” that validate what they are doing, even if they aren’t approved by society, those behaviours can be validated and act as a confirmation bias, validating the behaviours.
This pattern of biases, which travels from conformation bias to prestige bias to anchor bias to confirmation bias, can be detrimental to adolescents. This is not to say that things done positively can take the same pathway. But it appears that negative messages tend to get more traction than positive messages, as our brains are inherently negatively biased.
Imagine the story of Emily, a 14-year-old who is obsessed with body image even though her body weight is in the ideal weight range. She was an otherwise well child in all other respects. She recently changed schools and was a subject of bullying and body shaming. Several of her new friends idolize being slim.
Emily then goes to social media and decides to search for ways to slim down. Social media then feeds her posts based on her search related to diet and exercise (algorithm-driven posts). This is, therefore, Emily’s attempt to slim down to conform to the widely held beliefs of her friend’s circle. She then meets an influencer, Kylie, who propagates the benefits of being slim and how to achieve this. She is an example of having lost a substantial amount of weight from a rigorous diet and exercise, and she has the most followers on social media. Emily anchors in on the influencer, Kylie and decides to follow her.
Emily regularly posts images on social media showing how she has lost weight over time, receiving lots of validation in the form of likes and retweets. This confirms her belief that weight loss and a slim body frame are the most desirable body shapes, strengthening her body image beliefs. This is a common pathway to eating disorders that I see in clinical practice. Something that started as seemingly benign has then taken a turn to be pathological, with severe consequences for the young person.
The same scenarios could hold for other similar situations, such as hate speeches on social media with themes related to race, politics etc, and some medical conditions, such as those referred to as “tic-tok” ticks. In his book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt identifies the impact of social media and over-parenting as the most critical factors leading to rising mental health issues in children and adolescents.
The Harmful Impact of Screen Time
Today, adolescents are increasingly glued to their screens, significantly reducing opportunities for in-person socialisation. Face-to-face interactions are essential for recognising and interpreting emotions, facial expressions, and body language. Without these vital experiences, young people may struggle with effective communication and emotional understanding. This shift has contributed to a growing epidemic of social isolation among adolescents. Since the widespread introduction of smartphones, rates of anxiety and depression in young people have soared, highlighting the deep psychological impact of excessive screen time.
Consequences of Overprotective Parenting
It is also important to recognise the unintended consequences of overprotective parenting. In recent years, there has been a heightened focus on physical safety, particularly for children born after 1995, commonly referred to as Generation Z. Parents’ fears, especially around exposure to sex offenders and other dangers, have led to restrictions on outdoor play and community interactions. As a result, children are spending less time with their peers in real-world settings. Ironically, the same risks parents seek to avoid are often more prevalent in the virtual world, which remains largely unsupervised. In attempting to protect children from perceived physical dangers, overprotective parenting may increase their vulnerability by limiting real-world experiences and pushing them toward potentially riskier digital environments.
Consequences of screens: Replacing Social Skills
The social landscape for adolescents has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Increasingly, young people are retreating into digital spaces, where communication is curated, interactions are easily avoided, and discomfort can be instantly escaped with the swipe of a finger.
Historically, childhood and adolescence offered rich opportunities for social learning through playground disputes, team sports, neighbourhood friendships, and face-to-face conversations. Though sometimes challenging, these interactions helped young people develop essential interpersonal skills such as conflict resolution, empathy, and emotional regulation. They learned how to read body language, interpret tone, and build meaningful relationships grounded in trust and mutual understanding. The skills obtained from playing with other children developed the skills of not dominating one another and following rules.
However, the rise in screen time is changing this dynamic. Many adolescents now spend more time interacting through screens than in person. Social media platforms allow for anonymous, edited, and transient communication. If a conversation becomes uncomfortable, it can end immediately. If a disagreement arises, one can disengage. This kind of interaction may feel safe and controllable, but it does not foster the same depth of emotional development as in-person communication. The virtual world adversely affects the rules that dictate effective communication needed in relations, which impacts real-life communication.
Consequently, many young people enter adulthood with fewer opportunities to practise the essential skills required for healthy, lasting relationships. They may struggle to navigate real-life social situations, resolve conflicts constructively, or connect meaningfully with others.
Parents must recognize this shift and consider how screen time may be subtly reshaping their children’s capacity to engage with the world. Encouraging face-to-face interaction, supporting participation in community activities, and modelling healthy communication are critical steps in helping adolescents develop the social and emotional skills they need for the future.
Why We Need to Rethink Smartphones and Social Media for Young Teens
One of the most important things we can do as parents is to think carefully about when our children are ready for smartphones and social media. There’s growing evidence that early exposure can be harmful, especially before high school.
Smartphones, and especially the apps and platforms they carry, are designed to hold attention. Many of these are powered by algorithms that constantly feed content to keep users scrolling, liking, and returning for more. This can be particularly damaging for younger children and early teens, whose brains are still developing and who are naturally more vulnerable to addictive patterns.
Social media deserves special attention. While the platforms often set age cut-offs like 13 or 16, these do not necessarily mean a child is emotionally ready to handle what comes with online exposure—comparison, online conflict, unrealistic standards, and the constant pull for validation through likes and follows.
Instead of relying solely on age limits, considering each child individually is far more helpful. Maturity, emotional regulation, and the ability to make thoughtful decisions all vary widely from one young person to another. Some 14-year-olds may handle limited use responsibly, while others might struggle even at 16. That’s why this decision should be made carefully, with regular conversations, clear expectations, and active involvement from parents.
Giving a child access to a smartphone or social media too early is not just about the device, it’s about what they are exposed to and whether they have the tools to manage it. As parents, we must guide them through this digital world with care, patience, and ongoing support.
Emotional Vulnerability in the Digital Age: What Parents Need to Know
The ancient philosopher Epictetus once said, “If your body were handed over to just anyone, you would be outraged—so why are you not ashamed that you have handed over your mind to anyone who insults you?” This wisdom, though centuries old, feels especially relevant today, particularly when we consider how social media affects the emotional well-being of our children.
Adolescents are at a stage in life when they are still learning to understand and regulate their emotions. Their sense of identity is developing, and they are highly sensitive to positive and negative feedback from those around them. Social media platforms, by design, expose them to constant streams of content: photos, comments, likes, and opinions from friends, strangers, and influencers alike.
The problem is that young people often absorb these messages without even realising it. A single negative comment or comparison can spark anxiety, sadness, or confusion. They may begin to feel upset but not understand why. Their emotional state becomes tied to what they see on the screen, leaving them vulnerable to the opinions and behaviours of others, many of whom they do not even know.
Unlike real-life interactions, social media offers no exact context or emotional cues. It’s harder for adolescents to process tone, intention, or the reality behind curated images and posts. As a result, their emotions can be easily triggered, and they may struggle to distinguish between what’s real and what’s just a digital performance.
Parents must know how powerful this influence can be. Helping children build emotional resilience means limiting their exposure where needed, teaching them to reflect on what they’re consuming, and encouraging open conversations about how online experiences make them feel. Just as we protect their physical health, we must also protect their inner world, thoughts, feelings, and developing sense of self.
Is It Just Screen Time—Or Is It Addiction?
As parents, we often worry about things like smoking, alcohol, and other obvious risks to our children’s health. We know the signs of addiction when it comes to those substances: cravings, withdrawal, and emotional outbursts when access is denied. But what if similar signs are appearing in our homes—quietly, subtly—through a device we hand over every day?
Try taking a smartphone away from a child or teenager who uses it regularly. Or imagine refusing to give a phone to a child who asks for one, perhaps insisting that “everyone else has one.” What kind of reaction do you see? For many families, the response is intense anger, tears, frustration, and aggression. It’s not just disappointment; it’s a behavioural shift that can feel surprisingly strong.
I recently visited my family in India and was visited by my sister, who is a teacher in the nearby state school. After a brief conversation at her home, I saw her rushing to somewhere she needed to attend urgently. When she returned, she narrated the story of a girl who committed suicide upon being denied a mobile phone by her parents. She has just returned from the funeral of her student, Rita.
Rita was a 15-year-old girl who was described as a loner by her friends and family. She didn’t like to socialise, had no friends, and was a below-average student at school. Hearing her story, I thought she may have traits of autism and possibly intellectual disability, although undiagnosed. Both her parents worked hard to make ends meet, with only limited time for Rita. Rita spent most of her time watching television programs.
Recently, she was introduced to social media and has started being a regular at an internet café in the town. Most of her friends now had mobile phones. She insisted on having a phone, and the parents agreed to buy her a regular phone only for making calls. However, she insisted on a smartphone, which the family refused. Out of anger and frustration, she committed suicide while the parents were away at work. To my utter dismay, my sister mentioned that this is not an isolated incident, and several suicides have been reported, the underlying factor being screen addiction. She also cited instances where there are games that encourage young people to self-harm as part of the game, which have been taken off the market.
These responses should give us pause. They may not always point to addiction in the clinical sense, but they do raise serious concerns about dependency. Young people increasingly show signs of being emotionally and behaviorally hooked to screens—smartphones, gaming consoles, or tablets. And just like other forms of addiction, screen dependency can interfere with sleep, school performance, relationships, and overall well-being.
The question for us as parents is not just “Is this normal?”—but rather, “Am I willing to take responsibility for how and when these devices are introduced?” Giving a child unrestricted access to technology without guidance or limits is like handing them a powerful tool without teaching them how to use it safely. It may seem harmless in the short term, but the effects can be profoundly damaging over time.
Recognising screen addiction isn’t about blaming ourselves; it’s about taking thoughtful, proactive steps. By setting boundaries early, staying involved, and prioritising healthy habits, we can help our children grow up with a balanced relationship to technology rather than one that controls them.
The Role of Adults in Responsible Screen Use
As we consider the impact of screen time on young people, it is equally important to reflect on the responsibility adults carry in shaping healthy digital habits. Children often learn not just from what we say, but from what we do. Our screen behaviour sets powerful examples.
In today’s world, where work, communication, and even social connection often rely on digital platforms, it is unrealistic to expect a complete avoidance of screen use. However, what is possible—and essential—is the responsible use of screens.
This may involve meaningful but straightforward practices. For example, adults can explain their screen use around children by saying, “I’m just responding to a work message,” or “I’m looking up directions.” This small gesture clarifies the device’s purpose, models transparency, and builds in mindful use of the device. Similarly, engaging in joint screen activities—like watching a movie or playing an educational game—helps turn screen time into shared time, rather than a solitary or isolating experience.
Another aspect to consider is the sudden shift in expectations placed on young people. Often, children are closely monitored in their early years, with strict screen limits, only to be given complete independence at 16 or 18 with little preparation or guidance. This abrupt transition can be overwhelming. It is far more effective to gradually build digital responsibility over time, supported by ongoing conversations and consistent role modelling from adults.
Ultimately, fostering healthy screen habits in adolescents begins with mindful and intentional use of screens by adults in their lives. When parents and caregivers lead by example, they set boundaries and create a culture of respect, balance, and awareness around technology.
References
Jonathan Haidt. The anxious generation, Penguin Press, 2024.