A1 Journal article (refereed)
An umbrella review of the benefits and risks associated with youths’ interactions with electronic screens (2024)

Sanders, T., Noetel, M., Parker, P., Del Pozo Cruz, B., Biddle, S., Ronto, R., Hulteen, R., Parker, R., Thomas, G., De Cocker, K., Salmon, J., Hesketh, K., Weeks, N., Arnott, H., Devine, E., Vasconcellos, R., Pagano, R., Sherson, J., Conigrave, J., & Lonsdale, C. (2024). An umbrella review of the benefits and risks associated with youths’ interactions with electronic screens. Nature Human Behaviour, 8(1), 82-99. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01712-8

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Sanders, Taren; Noetel, Michael; Parker, Philip; Del Pozo Cruz, Borja; Biddle, Stuart; Ronto, Rimante; Hulteen, Ryan; Parker, Rhiannon; Thomas, George; De Cocker, Katrien; et al.

Journal or series: Nature Human Behaviour

eISSN: 2397-3374

Publication year: 2024

Publication date: 13/11/2023

Volume: 8

Issue number: 1

Pages range: 82-99

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01712-8

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Web address of parallel published publication (pre-print): https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/c59v3

Abstract

The influence of electronic screens on the health of children and adolescents and their education is not well understood. In this prospectively registered umbrella review (PROSPERO identifier CRD42017076051), we harmonized effects from 102 meta-analyses (2,451 primary studies; 1,937,501 participants) of screen time and outcomes. In total, 43 effects from 32 meta-analyses met our criteria for statistical certainty. Meta-analyses of associations between screen use and outcomes showed small-to-moderate effects (range: r = –0.14 to 0.33). In education, results were mixed; for example, screen use was negatively associated with literacy (r = –0.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = –0.20 to –0.09, P ≤ 0.001, k = 38, N = 18,318), but this effect was positive when parents watched with their children (r = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.28, P = 0.028, k = 12, N = 6,083). In health, we found evidence for several small negative associations; for example, social media was associated with depression (r = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.19, P ≤ 0.001, k = 12, N = 93,740). Limitations of our review include the limited number of studies for each outcome, medium-to-high risk of bias in 95 out of 102 included meta-analyses and high heterogeneity (17 out of 22 in education and 20 out of 21 in health with I2 > 50%). We recommend that caregivers and policymakers carefully weigh the evidence for potential harms and benefits of specific types of screen use.

Keywords: screen time; display units; effects (results); young people

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2023

JUFO rating: 3