Here is what we know:

There is a strong CORRELATION between screen time and anxiety. We know that they "go up together" but we don't know if the increased screen time is causing the increased anxiety or is a symptom of the increased anxiety (or if they are in some fun bi-directional spiral together).

The risk seems higher for adolescents. This is already a sensitive time for mental health. Checking in on ow teens feel about their screen use is important.

Not all screen time seems to be the same. Watching a TV show with a friend or having a family movie night looks like it has less negative mental health impacts than video games and scrolling social media.

Screen time is a problem when it displaces other healthy behaviour. Someone reading on their phone rather than reading a paper book is going to be less impactful than watching TV instead of going for a walk, or scrolling instead of sleeping.

It does look like cutting back on screen time is helpful for reducing anxiety. So even if it's not the cause, it may be a helpful behaviour change.

Dr. Katie Thomson Aitken, ND