This article is written and supplied by Bright Heart Education. Full credit to the original source.
Tablets and smartphones are now a normal part of family life, but experts say the real risks of heavy screen use in children often go unnoticed. According to education specialists, the problem is not simply how long children are on screens, but what those hours are quietly replacing.
A typical eight year old in the UK now spends close to three hours a day online, and by the age of two, around four in ten children already have their own tablet. At the same time, national surveys show children’s enjoyment of reading is at a record low. The issue has taken on new urgency following Australia’s world first decision to ban social media use for under 16s.
Research also links higher daily screen time with increased cardiometabolic risk in children and teenagers, especially when sleep is limited. While screens can genuinely help children with autism or ADHD to regulate, specialists stress they should never be the only coping tool. There is also growing concern that loot boxes and randomised rewards in games expose children to gambling style behaviours long before they are legally allowed to gamble.
Screen Time Isn’t the Core Issue, What It Replaces Is
Dr Ryan Stevenson, Co founder and Director at Bright Heart Education, a specialist tutoring provider focused on special educational needs, says many parents focus on counting minutes instead of looking at impact.
“With most families I work with, the problem isn’t that a tablet exists,” he explains. “It’s that screens quietly eat into sleep, daylight, reading, or proper down time.”
Rather than aiming for a perfect daily limit, Dr Stevenson encourages parents to ask three simple questions. What is screen time displacing? How well is my child sleeping? And what kind of digital design are they exposed to? He says viewing screen use through this lens makes it easier to introduce small changes that actually last.
Below are the three key areas he highlights when discussing the risks of what is often called an “iPad childhood”.
1. How Heavy Screen Use Affects Eyes, Sleep and Physical Health
Doctors say one of the biggest concerns around high screen use is the gradual loss of healthier habits. Reduced physical movement, less daylight exposure and later bedtimes are becoming common, and research shows these changes have real consequences.
What the research shows
A 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that each extra hour of daily screen time was linked to higher cardiometabolic risk, particularly in children who slept less. Another large scale review covering 335,000 young people found that every additional hour of digital screen use increased the odds of myopia by around 21 percent, with risk rising sharply beyond four hours a day.
What helps
Experts recommend aiming for one to two hours outdoors most days, avoiding screens in the hour before bedtime, and keeping long scrolling or gaming sessions as occasional rather than routine.
2. The Behavioural Costs of an “iPad Childhood”
Fast paced, high stimulation content, especially in the evening, is consistently linked with attention difficulties, mood swings and more challenging bedtimes. For many families, tablets also become the main way children cope with boredom, anxiety or sensory overload.
What the research shows
A 2023 meta analysis found a significant association between screen time and ADHD symptoms. Long term studies also show that screen heavy evenings predict more behavioural difficulties, largely due to disrupted sleep. Heavy reliance on devices as a child’s main coping mechanism is also linked with lower physical activity and increased conflict during transitions.
“Kids who sleep poorly focus poorly,” says Dr Stevenson. “Screens are helpful, but they can’t be the entire emotional toolkit.”
What helps
Maintaining regular and predictable sleep schedules is crucial. Limiting the fastest and noisiest media in the evenings can help, while still using screens where they clearly support calm, particularly for children with autism or ADHD. Adding other regulators alongside devices, such as sensory play, movement and consistent routines, is also recommended. Using timers or visual cues can make transitions off screens far less stressful.
3. Loot Boxes Are Introducing Gambling Risks Earlier Than Many Parents Realise
Many children’s games now feature casino like mechanics such as loot boxes, randomised chests and in app purchases. Research increasingly flags these systems as a significant risk factor.
What the research shows
Australia’s Gambling Research Centre has found reliable evidence linking loot boxes with problem gambling and gaming disorder. Studies also show that spending on loot boxes strongly correlates with gambling severity later in life. “These systems are designed to reward risk taking,” Dr Stevenson warns.
What helps
Parents are encouraged to choose ad free and loot box free games for younger children, turn off or password lock in app purchases, and explain clearly to older children how chance based systems work.
A More Realistic Approach for Modern Families
Experts agree that screens are not going away, and for some children they play a genuinely supportive role. The goal is not zero screen time, but balance. By focusing on sleep quality, outdoor play and the type of digital experiences children are exposed to, families can reduce the hidden harms of heavy screen use without turning everyday life into a constant struggle.