A study analyzing data from more than 50,000 American children has found that four or more hours of daily screen time is associated with a 61% higher risk of depression and a 45% higher risk of anxiety in young people — the most comprehensive quantitative evidence yet that excessive screen use is not a minor distraction but a significant pediatric health concern.
The findings arrive as Massachusetts passed one of the most restrictive youth social media laws in the United States, and lawmakers across at least 27 states advance bills targeting children's online safety — a legislative wave that the research may well accelerate.
