The variety of devices enabling media consumption is constantly increasing, and there is constant improvement in their technological capabilities. This advancement allows for a large number of stimuli to be compressed into the user experience, and at an accelerated pace. The growth in the number of websites and social networks has also attracted children and adolescents to spend more time on a device or computer screen. As a result, there has been a steady increase in screen time for children and youth in many western countries, of an average of about seven hours a day. Many studies in recent years have found a correlation between prolonged multimedia exposure and health problems among children. While there is significant public awareness about the possible effect of mobile phones radiation, the public is less aware of the other effects of screen time on health which can include harm to the endocrinal, cardio-vascular and neurological systems, as well as lead to difficulties with vision and posture.

1. Screen Time
Health and Psychological
Effects on Children
Gadi Lissak, PsyD
Behavioral Medicine
- “We may never heal problems we could have prevented” -
Prof. Oberklaid - Goshen Project, Hadassah Medical Center
Lecture summary

2. Health and Psychological effects - Overview:
Stress
Electromagnetic Radiation
Sleep & Hormones
Heart & blood vessels
Vision & posture
Neurobioligical changes in the brain
Complex clinical picture

3. ►Scope of the problem:
How much time is children’s screen time?
►Physiological Stress:
● Symptomatic arousal and cortisol dysregulation,
fight - flight response – Can Children bare it?
►Electromagnetic Radiation effects:
● Children are more vulnerable to radiation
● Cell aging, brain tumors
● Safety standards should be lowered

4. ► Sleep disorders effects
● Decreased ‘quality sleep’ time
● Anxiety, muscle cramps, sleep talk,
day drowsiness
● Decreased melatonin & risk for cancer
► Correlation to decreased insulin,
arteriosclerosis, disturbed metabolism

5. ► Cardio-vascular system
● Increased blood pressure
● Obesity - Disruption in memory for food
- High Food consumption with
low energy expenditure
● Low HDL Cholesterol
● Reading decreases blood pressure

6. ► Vision
● Myopia: decrease in dopamine light-stimulated release
● Sore eyes
● Ultraviolet light emitting screens
- Increaced eye cell death
- Reduced melatonin secretion
► Orthopedic problems

7. ► Neurobioligical changes -
Gray matter and white matter abnormalities
in online game & internet addiction:
● Impaired cognitive control
● Impaired socio-emotional regulation
● Decreased conflict detection

8. ► A challenge for clinicians - screen time causes a
complex symptomatic picture:
● Emotional, physical, social, behavioral,
school related
● ADHD symptoms
► The future generation:
Impaired psycho-physiological resilience:
Decreased ability to handle future challenges
and crisis

9. Recommended
screen time by age
Recommendations for
healthcare system
Tools for parents