Screen addiction risks: Parents warned as screen time fuels cognitive issues in children; Experts urge guidelines to limit device exposure

Ranchi: Twelve-year-old Rishav (name changed), a Class VI student, excelled in academics till Class V. However, his performance started to deteriorate gradually, and he started to gain weight, which concerned his parents. They took Rishav to the paediatrics department of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) for consultation. The doctors ran several tests on him, including a brain CT scan, but could not find any issues.

Later, a counselling session with the child and his parents revealed that Rishav was watching digital devices for long durations, which reduced his attention span and affected his health. Dr Partha Kumar Choudhary, professor of Rims paediatrics department, said that such cases were increasing in the city and across the state as well.




“Working parents give devices to console their children and feed them. However, the temporary relaxation leads to bigger issues when children grow up. We treat children of different age groups, ranging from toddlers to adolescents, who have reduced attention span, cognitive difficulties, lack of interactive skills, anxiety, obesity and other physical and psychological issues,” Choudhary said.

In another case, a two-and-a-half-year-old child was brought for consultation at a private hospital in Ranchi after his parents noticed a sudden change in behaviour. Over a period of three to four months, he started to watch videos on a mobile phone, especially as both parents were working and the device was often used to keep him occupied. Gradually, parents observed that the child stopped speaking and interacted very little.

After evaluation, the parents were advised by doctors to completely stop mobile phone exposure and instead engage him in occupational therapy, play-based learning and more direct interaction with caregivers. A guardian was arranged to spend time with the child and actively encourage communication and play.

Within two to three months, the child began showing improvement. During a recent follow-up, the child was found to be almost at par with his peer group and has started attending play school.

“Excessive screen time during these formative years can significantly affect speech and language development, reduce attention span, and impact a child’s creativity, imagination, and problem-solving abilities,” Dr Vinod Kumar, consultant paediatrics at the private hospital, said.

“Parents play a crucial role in preventing screen addiction. The first step is to set clear and consistent screen-time boundaries. Children below two years should ideally avoid screens altogether, except for occasional video calls with family members. For children between two and five years, screen time should be limited to a maximum of one hour per day, while those aged 6-12 years should ideally not exceed one to two hours of recreational screen time daily,” Kumar said.

“Encouraging at least one to two hours of outdoor play daily is essential, as sports and physical activities significantly improve both physical and mental well-being. With mindful guidance and consistent routines, parents can ensure that technology remains a helpful tool rather than becoming a harmful dependency for children,” he added.