What’s really at stake when your child spends hours on screens?

By Priyanjana Pramanik, MSc.Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Jun 12 2025

A sweeping new review reveals that not all screen time is equal; content, context, and gaming matter most for children’s emotional well-being.

Study: Electronic Screen Use and Children’s Socioemotional Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies. Image Credit: Irina WS / Shutterstock

In a recent review article published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, an international team of researchers systematically analyzed more than 132 longitudinal studies to examine the socioemotional impacts of screen use on children.

They found small but significant links between screen use, particularly gaming, and socioemotional problems, with longitudinal effects for girls generally being stronger than for boys in this review. However, for older children (ages 6–10), the effect was somewhat stronger for boys. The findings highlight the need for screen time guidelines that go beyond limiting duration and focus on the quality of content and social engagement to support emotional development through healthy screen habits.

Background

Social and emotional well-being is critical to children's development and refers to how they manage emotions and behavior. Socioemotional problems are typically classified as either externalizing (as in aggression) or internalizing (as in anxiety), with distinct causes and trajectories.

Screen use has emerged as a potential risk factor for these problems, prompting concern among researchers and policymakers. Children today are exposed to screens from a very young age, often exceeding recommended limits. The type of device, content, and usage context all vary by age and socio-economic background, potentially influencing outcomes differently.

Evidence suggests a small but significant link between excessive screen use and socioemotional issues, with this review finding stronger longitudinal effects for girls. The study also found that for boys in the older age group, screen use more strongly predicted later socioemotional issues. Effects were also observed for internalizing and peer problems, with externalizing issues like aggression showing a positive but not statistically significant trend. Mechanisms include the displacement of protective behaviors, such as social interaction, sleep, and physical activity, as well as interference with bonding between children and their caregivers.

Some children may also use screens to cope with existing socioemotional difficulties, creating a bidirectional cycle. However, most prior studies are cross-sectional, limiting conclusions about causality.

This review focused on longitudinal studies to better assess directionality, investigating whether screen use predicts later socioemotional problems and vice versa, and whether these effects are moderated by content, purpose of use, and type of socioemotional issue.

Key findings

This comprehensive meta-analysis included 132 longitudinal studies published between 1972 and 2024, covering 331,391 children of whom 48.1% were boys and 48.5% were girls, mainly from Canada, Australia, and the United States.

The children ranged in age from birth to 10.4 years at baseline, with follow-up periods spanning from 6 months to 33 years. Most studies relied on self- or parent-reported screen use data, primarily via recall surveys or diaries. Only one study used device-based screen tracking. Screen use was typically measured for game consoles, televisions, and general devices, with smartphones and tablets underrepresented.

Socioemotional problems were assessed using validated tools, and outcomes commonly included aggressive behavior, symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotional difficulties, conduct problems, peer issues, and low self-esteem.

Meta-analysis of 117 studies confirmed a small but statistically significant bidirectional relationship between screen use and socioemotional problems. Children who used screens more frequently were more likely to exhibit socioemotional issues later, and vice versa.

Moderation analyses revealed stronger effects for screen use predicting socioemotional problems among girls, and stronger effects for gaming compared to other types of screen use. Effects were also more pronounced among children who exceeded screen time guidelines. Screen use was more strongly associated with internalizing and peer problems, while the trend for externalizing issues like aggression did not reach statistical significance. Notably, the study found that the adverse effects of screen use accumulate over longer follow-up durations—cumulative lag effects mean that risks are greater with prolonged and excessive exposure. Children's age, gender, purpose of screen use, and screen content all influenced outcomes. The type of screen device (e.g., television, computer, tablet) did not significantly moderate the relationship. Screen exposure among older children (6–10 years) and older boys more strongly predicted future socioemotional issues, and socioemotional problems in older children were more likely to lead to increased screen use.

Gaming stood out as a uniquely high-risk activity, showing the strongest predictive effects on emotional problems in both directions, above and beyond general screen use. Gaming and general screen content had the strongest predictive effects on emotional problems, while the impact of violent content was smaller but still significant.

Socioemotional problems also predicted higher engagement with screens over time, particularly gaming and general screen content.

However, the effects were weaker for entertainment or educational screen use. The relationship between socioemotional difficulties and screen use grew stronger with longer study durations but did not significantly differ by screen type or gender.

Racial differences were notable: the link between screen use and problems was strongest in non-White samples and weakest in predominantly White ones. However, these findings were less central than other moderators such as age, gender, and purpose/content of screen use. Cultural regions showed smaller differences.

Qualitative findings supported these patterns, highlighting stronger risks associated with excessive gaming or social media use. Parenting style and physical activity may be important contextual factors that reduce risk, although these were not central moderators in the primary quantitative analysis.

Conclusions

"Children are spending more and more time on screens, for everything from entertainment to homework to messaging friends," said Dr. Michael Noetel, one of the study’s authors. "We found that increased screen time can lead to emotional and behavioral problems, and kids with those problems often turn to screens to cope."

Gaming showed particularly strong two-way links with socioemotional difficulties, highlighting it as a key area for attention by parents, researchers, and policymakers. The study supports monitoring screen time, especially to avoid excessive use or heavy gaming, as this increases the risks for both externalizing and internalizing problems.

When screen time is moderate, educational, and does not replace sleep, physical activity, or social interaction, risks are minimal. Importantly, children should be taught alternative coping strategies for socioemotional issues rather than relying on screens.

The findings underscore the importance of screen time guidelines that take into account not only the duration but also the content and context of use, recognizing that the reasons and methods by which children use screens are equally significant as the time spent on them.

The review also notes important limitations, including that most included studies had a high risk of bias, used self- or parent-reported measures of screen use, and excluded studies conducted during COVID-19 lockdowns or among children with neurodevelopmental disorders. These factors should be considered when interpreting the findings.