In 2025, a review in PMC analyzed data from multiple studies, including the 2022 ABCD Study with 2,217 kids aged 9-10, using brain scans and behavior tests. It found excessive screen time, especially with reward-heavy games on devices like iPads, triggers dopamine overload, making kids crave instant gratification and struggle with everyday tasks. Kids with over 2 hours daily showed higher attention problems and depression scores, with brain scans revealing lower caudate nucleus activity (a reward area), hinting at addiction risks, and reduced prefrontal cortex function, linked to poor impulse control and increased aggression.

In 2025, M. Khanani and a team reviewed studies on how excessive screen time affects kids and teens. They found that spending too long on devices like phones, tablets, or TVs—especially since the COVID-19 pandemic—hurts physical, mental, and developmental health.

In 2025, EMJ reported a study testing ways to cut recreational screen time in adults. Using digital behavior interventions like app timers and mindfulness prompts, researchers tracked phone use and well-being over weeks.

A 2024 systematic review in BMC Public Health found that children with higher screen use were more likely to develop depressive symptoms later, especially between ages 9 to 12—or teens who spend much time on screens showing increased depression, anxiety, inattention, and aggression.