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Half of US teens spend more than 4 hours a day on screens, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study finds.

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Half of US teens spend more than 4 hours a day on screens, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study finds.

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LOS ANGELES – new survey The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that about 50% of American teens ages 12 to 17 spend at least four hours a day in front of screens—whether on smartphones, computers, or televisions. The data comes from responses to a federal survey conducted from mid-2021 to the end of 2023.

As teens’ screen time increases, researchers are finding a link between prolonged screen use and mental health problems. A CDC study found that nearly 27% of teens who reported four or more hours of daily screen time also reported anxiety in the past two weeks. In comparison, only 12.3% of teens who used less screen time experienced similar symptoms.

More screen time linked to increased depression

Self-reported depression rates were also significantly higher among teens who reported high screen time. About 26% of teens who spent four or more hours a day on screens reported symptoms of depression, compared with 9.5% of those with less screen time.

In this photo illustration, a teenage child is looking at a mobile phone screen. ((Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images))

Screen time chart by age, gender and location

Screen time use appeared to be similar across genders, with approximately 48% of boys and 52.5% of girls spending four or more hours a day on screens. Age played a more prominent role, with 45.6% of younger teens (12-14 years old) engaging in prolonged screen time compared to 55% of older teens (15-17 years old).

Teens in urban areas also showed more screen time, with 51.4% of urban teens spending more than four hours a day on screens, compared to 43.3% of rural teens.

Previous research on the effects of screen time and mental health

Amanda Ng, lead author of the report from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, noted that previous research has linked excessive screen time to negative health effects, including poor sleep, fatigue and increased symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Source

This article is based on data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics and published in the journal NCHS Data Brief.