Digital screen exposure and child and adolescent health and wellbeing: a scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
1
1 WHO collaborating centre for maternal and child health, IRRCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
2
2 Trinity Centre for Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
3
3 School of Psychology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
4
4 Department of Sociology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
5
5 University of Liverpool, Department of Public Health Policy and Systems, Liverpool, United Kingdom
6
6 Maternal Adolescent Reproductive and Child Health Care Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Digital screen exposure among children and adolescents has increased markedly, prompting a surge of systematic reviews synthesising its association with different health outcomes. This scoping review aimed at providing an analysis of recent existing systematic reviews in this field.
METHODS:
We conducted a systematic search of seven databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and APA PsycINFO) to identify systematic reviews published between 2015 and 2025, that examined the association between digital screen exposure and health or wellbeing outcomes among children and adolescents aged 0–19.
RESULTS:
Out of 72,394 records screened, 138 systematic reviews met inclusion criteria. The number of reviews more than doubled after 2020, reflecting increasing attention to digital exposure as a determinant of youth health. Mental health and risk behaviours were the most frequently examined outcomes (n=71), of which 41 focused on depression and anxiety, followed by cognitive development (n=51), sleep (n=27), overweight/physical activity (n=18), vision (n=12), musculoskeletal health (n=7), and hypertension and cardiovascular risk (n=7). In adolescents the most frequent outcome was mental health, and in children cognitive development. Most primary studies (77.4%) were conducted in high-income countries. Definitions of digital exposure were highly heterogeneous, ranging from broad screen-time metrics to specific platforms or problematic use. Methodological quality of recent reviews was low, with only 8 reviews rated as high quality.
CONCLUSIONS:
This review highlights many papers on digital screen exposure and youth health in most recent years. However, low quality of existing reviews and methodological heterogeneity hamper an umbrella review. Several research gaps persist, and future research must prioritize: (1) higher-quality evidence synthesis, on all health outcomes; (2) standardised definitions of digital exposure; (3) greater inclusion of underrepresented countries and younger age groups. Addressing these gaps is essential to provide reliable, actionable evidence to inform public health policy.
Digital screen exposure among children and adolescents has increased markedly, prompting a surge of systematic reviews synthesising its association with different health outcomes. This scoping review aimed at providing an analysis of recent existing systematic reviews in this field.
METHODS:
We conducted a systematic search of seven databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and APA PsycINFO) to identify systematic reviews published between 2015 and 2025, that examined the association between digital screen exposure and health or wellbeing outcomes among children and adolescents aged 0–19.
RESULTS:
Out of 72,394 records screened, 138 systematic reviews met inclusion criteria. The number of reviews more than doubled after 2020, reflecting increasing attention to digital exposure as a determinant of youth health. Mental health and risk behaviours were the most frequently examined outcomes (n=71), of which 41 focused on depression and anxiety, followed by cognitive development (n=51), sleep (n=27), overweight/physical activity (n=18), vision (n=12), musculoskeletal health (n=7), and hypertension and cardiovascular risk (n=7). In adolescents the most frequent outcome was mental health, and in children cognitive development. Most primary studies (77.4%) were conducted in high-income countries. Definitions of digital exposure were highly heterogeneous, ranging from broad screen-time metrics to specific platforms or problematic use. Methodological quality of recent reviews was low, with only 8 reviews rated as high quality.
CONCLUSIONS:
This review highlights many papers on digital screen exposure and youth health in most recent years. However, low quality of existing reviews and methodological heterogeneity hamper an umbrella review. Several research gaps persist, and future research must prioritize: (1) higher-quality evidence synthesis, on all health outcomes; (2) standardised definitions of digital exposure; (3) greater inclusion of underrepresented countries and younger age groups. Addressing these gaps is essential to provide reliable, actionable evidence to inform public health policy.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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