Screen Time and Associated Factors in Early Adolescent Age Group Experience From a North Indian Center

Background In recent years, the rise of digital technology has led to a significant increase in screen time among children, raising concerns about the potential effects of excessive screen exposure on children's development. The objectives were to estimate screen exposure and media use in the early adolescent age group and to correlate the exposure with demographic characteristics and its effect, if any, on school performance and sleep duration. Material and methods Children aged between 10 and 14 years attending the Pediatric Outpatient Department were enrolled. Data collection was done via interview based on a structured, pre-tested questionnaire. Screen time and media exposure of the adolescent and parents were assessed, and their effect on sleep duration, academic performance, and outdoor activity was noted. Results Girls had significantly less screen time than boys. Socio-economic status and literacy level of parents failed to show a significant association. The screen time of parents had a significant impact on the duration of screen time in adolescents. Screen time failed to show any effect on sleep duration and school performance. Playtime was significantly less in the group with higher screen time. We could not find any effect of screen time on academic performance or sleep duration in this study.