More screen time leading to an increased risk of heart problems among youth

SALT LAKE CITY — More screen time means kids and teens spend more time lying around and less time sleeping. A study from the Journal of the American Heart Association says this can lead to a number of health problems, particularly heart problems. 

“Excessive screen time and the wrong [kind of] screen time can have serious and tangible effects on children’s health,” Dr. Jonathan Williams, a pediatrician at Ogden Clinic, said. “Particularly sleep, but also things like development, mental health, and immune function.”

 

Poor sleep can lead to hormonal imbalance and insulin resistance, which can lead to poor heart health later on. The study found that each additional hour of screen time was associated with a higher risk.

“Sleep impacts everything from learning, development, social interactions, mental health, immune function, growth,” Williams said. “You name it, it’s affected by the quality and the consistency of our sleep.”

With the way our society is evolving, it’s almost impossible to avoid screens. So, Williams says to try and keep screen time productive and active. That includes video calling a relative, learning something new, or even creating something. 

Setting healthy screen time habits

Williams says establishing unhealthy screen habits as a child can also have lifelong impacts. 

“There’s also a problem in being sedentary as well,” Williams said. “If a child is on screens, they’re not outdoors, not running around and they’re not being a kid.”

This can lead to less exercise, increasing heart health risks. But there are steps parents can take to prevent these issues. 

“This is a hard one to swallow, but we as parents are the role models,” Williams said. “If you’re on the couch doom-scrolling, that’s the hobby and habit they’re going to pick up. We need to make sure we’re establishing healthy screen usage for ourselves so that we can better help our children navigate those habits. 

Williams recommends cutting screen time an hour or two before bedtime, getting screens out of bedrooms and establishing a consistent sleep pattern. 

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