The constant notifications, the access to social media, the tens of thousands of apps that include gaming and gambling, which are in themselves addictive, make these small-screen devices bad for our health.

Smartphones feed reward and expectation, make us anxious when we are disconnected, fuel our need for validation, increase anxiety, depression, and feelings of inadequacy.

Many never turn off their smartphones that can continue to notify them through the night contributing to sleep disruption, excessive use, reduced cognitive function and changes to brain chemistry.

In researching this topic I came across Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist and professor at Brown University. Jacqueline is a mom with two young children, who she says can lose their mind when small screens are taken away. Her kids have iPads. Yours may have a smartphone, laptop, or gaming console. In most cases, depriving kids of screens and screen time produces a common set of behaviours. Why does this happen?

Children react negatively to having their small screen time reduced. It has something to do with the reward system in their brains. Small-screen addiction is driven by dopamine. What is it, and how does it contribute to small-screen addiction?

Dopamine is a hormone and chemical neurotransmitter that stimulates nerve cells in the brain. It contributes to feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. It affects movement, learning, memory, mood, attention, and sleep. When we enjoy something, the brain releases dopamine, making us want to experience it again. Small screens provide instant rewards in the form of messages or feedback when using an app. Hence small screens contribute to dopamine release.

Overuse of small-screen devices means dopamine is being continuously released. That leads to potential problems including loss of impulse control, acts of aggression, compulsive behaviour, mania, hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, increased anxiety, and impaired decision making. Adults can, to some degree, self-regulate when experiencing these emotions, recognizing the source. This is something we learn as we mature. Children, however, do not, creating unintended behavioural consequences which parents have to address.

Jacqueline notes that certain types of screen use by children can lead to short-term deficits in executive functioning skills like memory, attention, and self-regulation. This is not a child’s strong suit and leads to unpleasant episodes after screen time ends.

There is also the content that children are exposed to on small screens. Jacqueline writes:

“Kids copy the things they see. This is true for both positive and negative behaviours. There is evidence that playing violent video games, for example, can result in children modelling aggressive behaviour, and, alternatively, that watching shows with prosocial messages can encourage positive behaviour.”

Jacqueline cites evidence that physical activity positively impacts mood, as does time spent outside. This is not, however, what happens when children stay inside, sedentary, and staring at a device where they may experience a game or video that they find difficult to process. Some online media for children is seen as overstimulating, particularly if the child has conditions such as ADHD, Autism, and Asperger’s. These medical conditions could lead to emotional meltdowns when a parent requests that screen time be over.

Jacqueline has this advice for parents dealing with the emotional hangover of child misbehaviour related to small-screen addiction. She has come up with 8 steps.

1. Experiment with different media and content. She writes, “Sensory experiences are highly individualized, everything from the colours on the screen, to their familiarity with an episode, to the soundtrack, to the device type can all make a difference. So, find what works (and doesn’t work) for your child.
2. Try different stopping times that relate to the onscreen activity. Always give the child a warning well ahead that screen time is ending after one more episode or in five minutes.
3. Talk to your child about what they feel when they turn their small screen off. Ask them why they feel this and then raise coping skills to try the next time they are frustrated that screen time is over.
4. Make screen transition time plans with your child that they can agree to, like a five-minute warning, and what screen activities should be on or off limits. Agree to revisit the plan if needed.
5. Consider post-screen activities because, after small-screen dopamine highs, homework or cleaning up toys may not be the best activities. Something physical might be a good choice, or the opposite, a low-energy activity like reading.
6. Be consistent with when screen time is over. Don’t change your mind and succumb to a negotiation or a tantrum. Jacqueline states that you can still be nice and understanding without giving in.
7. Use stopping cues to signal that screen time is over. This is easiest if a child is watching an episode in a series or has reached a logical stopping point in a game.
8. Reduce screen time using a less-is-more approach. If you are planning a road trip or vacation, the small screens don’t have to come along.

Good luck, and let me know if these steps work for you and for the health of your child.

The latest U.S. research from Common Sense has compiled a 2025 census report on small screen usage. It indicates that children, on average are viewing small screens 2.5 hours daily.

The amount of time varies by age as seen in the following graph.

Emerging trends show 40% of children use a tablet by age two. That number grows to 58% by age four. By age eight, 25% of children have cellphones and more than half have one or the other, a tablet or cellphone or both.

Are small screens affecting child literacy?

The emerging negative trend for children between the ages of five and eight is that they are reading less, with the decline from 2020 to 2024 from 64 to 52%.

With a wider range of ways to read using small screens like smartphones, tablets and e-readers, children continue to prefer printed books.

Of parents surveyed, six minutes per day of reading or being read to was happening using small screen devices.

In other studies, excessive small screen exposure for children between ages two and four is seen as impeding the acquisition of reading skills. One study shows that children exposed to more than four hours of screen time daily at age one have shown delays in communication and problem-solving skills development at ages two to four.

What about gender screen behaviour differences?

This may not be a surprising statistic. Boys are spending 30 minutes more than girls looking at screens. Boys are playing more games on small screens than girls.

What about household income affecting screen usage?

Another interesting observation is that lower-income children spend almost twice as much time on screens as those in higher-than-average income homes.

So what and how much is being watched daily?

What about artificial Intelligence (AI) usage introduced through small screens?

Only 1% of those surveyed for the Common Sense Media report indicated they used screen time to do school homework. That’s where artificial intelligence enters the conversation.

How many children and parents reported being exposed to generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and others?

Here are some interesting data points:

• 29% of parents report their children are using AI to do school homework. 39% of five to eight-year-olds report doing this.
• 26% of parents surveyed credit AI for teaching children critical thinking skills.
• 24% of parents report their child is using AI to produce short stories, art and other creative content.
• 10% of five to eight-year-olds talk or text with chatbots
• 8% of children, ages five to eight, engage with AI apps to learn about the technology.
• 23% of parents feel that AI tools have a positive impact on their children while 55% see no impact whatsoever.

What about using small screens to emotionally regulate children?

• 20% of parents report putting screens in front of their child at mealtime both at home and in restaurants.
• 25% report using screens to calm a child who is angry, sad or upset.
• 20% of parents report using screens at bedtime to help their child to fall asleep.
• 66% of parents report using screens to occupy a child to get things done or take time for themselves with 44% reporting using them in places like the grocery store or a doctor’s office.
• 57% share screens together for bonding.
• 47% use screens as rewards for good behaviour.

Has watching television been affected by the proliferation of small screens?

With the arrival of small screens, television viewing is in decline. In 2020, children watched an average of one hour and 45 minutes of TV and video daily. In 2024, the amount of TV and video watching has dropped to an hour and 28 minutes. Children are into streaming using platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Apple+ and Disney+ with 40% reporting using these daily.

What about virtual reality (VR)?

Manufacturers of VR headsets strongly recommend that children not use their technology because it can be detrimental to their physical and mental health. Oculus, Sony, and Samsung, therefore, recommend VR headsets only be given to children age 13 and above under adult supervision.

In the Commonsense survey, only one family reported letting their child use a VR headset.

How do Canadian and other jurisdiction results vary?

The data described above represents the results of U.S. national surveys. What is research showing elsewhere?

A Public Health Ontario survey of Canadian children shows that children aged three to four are using small screens on average just under 6 hours per week, with children ages five to 11 watching 10 hours weekly.

Canadian pediatric research and recommendations indicate that small screen usage by children ages two to five should not exceed one hour daily.

European Union and United Kingdom studies bear similar results to the U.S. and Canada in general terms related to children’s small screen usage and appropriate parental behaviour.

All of these countries researchers report that screen usage increased as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and now appears to be hard-wired into family life for both children and parents leading to growing concerns.

What are the growing concerns?

• Children spending more than two hours daily on small screens are experiencing declining levels of vocabulary acquisition.
• Excessive screen time is impacting a child’s focus, reducing language comprehension, and negatively impacting attention spans.
• Neurological studies are showing that the overuse of small screens is thinning areas of the brain responsible for critical thinking and reasoning.
• Small screen overuse is creating a condition called “tunnel vision” learning.
• Small screen usage is isolating children and making them less confident in social interactions.

These concerns have been raised by behavioural psychologists, pediatricians, and teachers who recommend:

• Limiting pre-school age children to less than an hour per day of small screen viewing and school-aged children to two hours per day.
• Co-viewing become a standard practice for parents when children are using small screens.
• Encouraging children to play away from these devices, whether inside or outside their homes.