Risks of excessive screen use. Digital detox strategies

Leticia Trejo Espíndola

Authors

Leticia Trejo Espíndola Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, México. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4095-9298

Keywords:

Excessive use of screens, Risks, Physical health, Mental health

Abstract

We often dedicate our routines to screen time, enjoying the benefits and entertainment that screen time provides, however, it is also necessary to consider the impact and consequences of excessive screen time. The objective of this research focuses on: a) identifying the consequences of excessive screen time, such as increased obesity, sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, and isolation; and b) providing digital detox options that are possible to carry out, setting limits on their use, which allows for more affectionate and warm relationships, in addition to taking advantage of time in activities that promote physical activity that benefit personal well-being.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Publication Facts

This article

Author statements

Data availability

N/A

16%

External funding

No

32%

Competing interests

N/A

11%

This journal

Other journals

Articles accepted

68%

33%

Days to publication

88

145

Indexed in

DOAJ
GS

Editor & editorial board: profiles
Academic society: N/A
Publisher: Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo

References

[1] Alkalash SH, Alshamrani FA, Alharthi SA, Alzubaidi MA, Alqarehi RM, Bazaid AA, et al. Parents' Knowledge On, Attitude Toward, and Practice of Screen Time Exposure Regulation of Their Children Under Six Years of Age in Western Region, Saudi Arabia. Cureus. 2023; 15(11): e49464.

[2] Statista. Promedio mensual de uso de redes sociales en varios países de Latinoamérica [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2025 Apr 2]. Available from: https://es.statista.com/estadisticas/1413805/redes-sociales-promedio-mensual-de-uso-en-varios-paises-de-latinoamerica/

[3] World Health Organization. Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019 [cited 2025 March 20]. Available from: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/311664/9789241550536-eng.pdf?sequence=1

[4] Spanish Society of Pediatrics. Update of the Family Digital Plan [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 Apr 2]. Available from: https://www.rehueong.com.ar/sites/default/files/2025-01/AEP%20actualiza%20sus%20recomendaciones%20sobre%20el%20uso%20de%20pantalla.pdf

[5] Hutton JS, Dudley J, Horowitz-Kraus T, DeWitt T, Holland SK. Associations between screen-based media use and brain white matter integrity in preschool-aged children. JAMA Pediatr. 2020; 174(1): e192307.

[6] Ramírez-Noriega A, Jiménez S, Martínez-Ramírez Y, Juárez-Ramírez R, Solís JC. El impacto de la pandemia en estudiantes de nivel secundaria en Sinaloa. RIDE. 2022; 12(24): e333.

[7] Morales-Chainé S. Impacto del COVID-19 en la salud mental Enfermería Universitaria 2021; 18(2): 1-4.

[8] Carmenate Rodríguez ID, Salas Mayea Y. Perfil clínico y epidemiológico de población infantil con manifestaciones psiquiátricas durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Rev. Cubana Pediatría. 2021;93(1): e1206.

[9] Erades N, Morales A. Impacto psicológico del confinamiento por la COVID-19 en niños españoles: un estudio transversal. Rev. Psicol. Clin. Niños Adolesc. 2020; 7(3): 27-34.

[10] Ortiz-de-Villate C, Gil-Flores J, Rodríguez-Santero J. Variables associated with the use of screens at the end of early childhood. Pixel-Bit. 2023; 66:113-36.

[11] Merín L, Toledano-González A, Fernández-Aguilar L, Nieto M, Del Olmo N, Latorre JM. Evaluation of the association between excessive screen use, sleep patterns and behavioral and cognitive aspects in the preschool population. A systematic review. Eur. Child. Adolesc. Psychiatry. 2024; 33(12): 4097-114.

[12] Van den Heuvel M, Ma J, Borkhoff CM, Koroshegyi C, Dai DWH, Parkin PC. et al. Mobile media device use is associated with expressive language delay in 18-month-old children. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 2019; 40(2): 99-104.

[13] Rodríguez Sas O, Estrada LC. Pantallas en tiempos de pandemia: efectos bio-psico-sociales en niñas, niños y adolescentes. Rev. Soc. 2021; 42: 15-29.

[14] Li C, Cheng G, Sha T, Cheng W, Yan Y. The relationships between screen use and health indicators among infants, toddlers, and preschoolers: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public. Health. 2020; 17(19): 7324.

[15] Muppalla SK, Vuppalapati S, Reddy A, Sreenivasulu H. Effects of Excessive Screen Time on Child Development: An Updated Review and Strategies for Management. Cureus. 2023; 15(6): e40608.

[16] Oswald TK, Rumbold AR, Kedzior SGE, Moore VM. Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review. PLoS ONE. 2020; 15(9): e0237725.

[17] Machado-Balbuena LL, Horta-Sánchez JP, Chavero-Jiménez W, Nava-Rodríguez MI. Impacto de las tecnologías de información y comunicación (TIC) en la población infantil y adolescente durante la pandemia por COVID-19: Análisis con perspectiva bioética. Albores. 2024; 3(4): 42-54.

[18] Ribner AD, Coulanges L, Friedman S, Libertus ME. I-FAM-Covid Consortium. Screen Time in the Coronavirus 2019 Era: International Trends of Increasing Use Among 3- to 7-Year-Old Children. J. Pediatr. 2021; 239: 59-66.

[19] Moitra P, Madan J. Impact of screen time during COVID-19 on eating habits, physical activity, sleep, and depression symptoms: A cross-sectional study in Indian adolescents. PLoS One. 2022; 17(3): e0264951.

[20] Capó Mesquida C. Consecuencias del uso abusivo de pantallas electrónicas durante el desarrollo infantil. [Trabajo de fin de grado, Enfermería]. Palma de Mallorca (España): UIB; 2024.

[21] Moreno-Villares JM, Galiano-Segovia MJ. El tiempo frente a las pantallas: la nueva variable en la salud infantil y juvenil. Nutr. Hosp. 2019; 36(6): 1235-6.

[22] Nagata JM, Paul A, Yen F, Smith-Russack Z, Shao IY, Al-Shoaibi AAA, et al. Associations between media parenting practices and early adolescent screen use. Pediatr. Res. 2025; 97(1): 403–10.

[23] Schmidt-Persson J, Rasmussen MGB, Sørensen SO, Mortensen SR, Olesen LG, Brage S, et al. Screen Media Use and Mental Health of Children and Adolescents: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw. Open. 2024; 7(7): e2419881.

[24] Marciano L, Jindal S, Viswanath K. Digital Detox and Well-Being. Pediatrics. 2024; 154(4): e2024066142.

[25] Ramadhan RN, Rampengan DD, Yumnanisha DA, Setiono SB, Tjandra KC, Ariyanto MV, Et al. Impacts of digital social media detox for mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Narra J. 2024; 4(2): e786.

[26] Rebollo Muñoz MP. ¿Influye en el desarrollo infantil, el tiempo de pantalla frente a los dispositivos electrónicos? [Trabajo de fin de grado, Enfermería]. Palma de Mallorca (España): UIB; 2020.

[27] Bolaños Castillo DE. Adicción sin sustancia química por el uso indebido de la tecnología en niños comprendidos de 8 a 12 años del Colegio Real San Pablo de San Miguel Petapa. [Tesis de Licenciatura, Psicología Clínica y Consejería Social]. Guatemala: Universidad Panamericana; 2020.

[28] Coyne P, Woodruff SJ. Taking a Break: The Effects of Partaking in a Two-Week Social Media Digital Detox on Problematic Smartphone and Social Media Use, and Other Health-Related Outcomes among Young Adults. Behav. Sci. (Basel). 2023; 13(12): 1004.

[29] Mohamed SM, Abdallah LS, Kotb Ali FN. Effect of digital detox program on electronic screen syndrome among preparatory school students. Nurs. Open. 2022; 10(4): 2222-8.

[30] Manzanero Díaz S. Impacto de las redes sociales en la salud mental de los adolescentes y cómo ello afecta a diferentes variables psicológicas. (Trabajo de fin de grado, Enfermería). Madrid (España): Universidad Europea; 2022.

[31] Anandpara G, Kharadi A, Vidja P, Chauhan Y, Mahajan S, Patel J. A Comprehensive Review on Digital Detox: A Newer Health and Wellness Trend in the Current Era. Cureus. 2024; 16(4): e58719.

[32] Mutlu N, Dinleyici M. Evaluation of Screen Time in Children Under Five Years Old. Cureus. 2024; 16(2): e54444.