What Causes Too Much Screen Time?

Question: What is the cause of too much screen time? 

Answer: This is a great question as screens are used for so many activities these days! Facetiming with friends or family, scrolling on social media, doing homework, making plans, playing video games, or searching for videos about topics you are interested in.  

Platform Design 

One thing to acknowledge is that an important cause of too much screen time can be in the design of technology. Many social media platforms and video games are designed to be hard to put down, which means it can be easy to lose track of time. To help with this, you can consider setting in-app time limits directly on your device. This Glossary of Digital Media Platforms includes detailed information about how to adjust app settings, including time limits.  

You can also consider making a Family Media Plan with other people in your family. Using the Family Media Plan as a guide, you can decide whether you want to create tech-free times (like the hour before bedtime) or tech-free zones (like the dinner table).  

Problematic Use 

Sometimes, spending time on screens can get in the way of other important activities, such as getting enough physical activity, sleep, or being present with friends or family, and that may indicate problematic or unhealthy media use. This previous portal response explains what problematic media use looks like and provides resources that may help with problematic media use.  

While there is no single cause of problematic media use, researchers have identified some risk factors that may lead to problematic or unhealthy media use. A few of these risk factors include: 

• Peer factors: having a hard time with friendships, comparing yourself to others a lot, worrying about missing out, feeling pressured by other people, or dealing with mean or manipulative social behavior  
• Mental health concerns and negative emotions: feeling upset a lot, having trouble managing your emotions or impulses, not feeling very happy with life, overthinking things, wanting more independence, or dealing with mental health symptoms 
• Self-regulation and personality: having a hard time managing your actions or feelings, chasing intense or exciting experiences, or feeling confused or stressed about who you are can all make unhealthy screen use more likely 

If You are Concerned 

If you are worried about your media use, including the amount of time you are spending on certain platforms or activities, consider talking with an adult like a parent, school counselor, teacher, or your doctor. Your doctor may consider using the Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS), which has both a brief 3-item version and a full 18-item version.  

Here are some additional resources to consider:  

• The 5 Cs of Media Use is a framework we can use to consider different aspects of healthy social media use. The 5 Cs are Child, Content, Calm, Crowding out, and Communication.  
  • Communication describes the importance of youth and adults communicating with each other about technology use. Here is a video that describes this C. To help with communication about balanced media use, here are some conversation starters.  
  • Crowding out describes how to make sure time using digital media does not “crowd out” other important activities like physical activity, sleep, and spending time with friends and family. Here is a video that describes this C. 
• The AAP Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health has a Teen Wellness Toolkit designed specifically for teens. This resource has a variety of tip sheets and other resources for avoiding problematic media use and promoting healthy digital habits. Specific helpful resources within this Teen Wellness Toolkit include the Calm Toolbox and Quick Tips for Managing Your Feed.  

References 

• Gerçeker, G. Ö., Göçer, İ., Dorum, B., & Baran, Ö. (2026). The problematic media use in children and their parents: Predictors of children's screen time and problematic media use. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 87, 236-242.  
• Jelenchick, L. A., Eickhoff, J., Christakis, D. A., Brown, R. L., Zhang, C., Benson, M., & Moreno, M. A. (2014). The Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS) for adolescents and young adults: Scale development and refinement. Computers in human behavior, 35, 171-178.   
• Pazdur, M., Tutus, D., & Haag, A. C. (2025). Risk factors for problematic social media use in youth: A systematic review of longitudinal studies. Adolescent Research Review, 10(2), 237-253.  

Age: 10-24 

Topics: screen time; problematic use; risk factors 

Role: Youth