Half of US teens spend more than 4 hours a day in front of screens, according to CDC research

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

As screen time increases among teenagers, researchers are finding a link between expanded screen use and mental health problems. The CDC study found that about 27% of teens who reported spending four hours or more a day in front of a screen also reported experiencing anxiety in the past two weeks. By comparison, only 12.3% of teens with less screen exposure experienced similar symptoms.

Higher screen time linked to increased depression

Rates of self-reported depression were also significantly higher among teens with higher screen time. Approximately 26% of teens who spent four or more hours a day in front of a screen reported symptoms of depression, compared with 9.5% of teens who spent less time in front of a screen.

In this photo illustration, a young boy looks at his mobile phone screen. ((Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images))

Screen time patterns by age, gender and location

Screen time use appears to be similar between genders; About 48% of boys and 52.5% of girls spend four or more hours a day in front of a screen. Age played a more prominent role: 45.6% of younger teens (ages 12-14) had long periods of screen time, while 55% of older teens (ages 15-17) had long periods of screen time.

Teens in urban areas also showed higher screen time; 51.4% of urban youth spend more than four hours a day in front of a screen, compared to 43.3% of rural youth.

Previous research on screen time and mental health

Previous research has linked excessive screen time to negative health outcomes, including inadequate sleep, fatigue, and increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, said the report’s lead author, Amanda Ng, of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

Source

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