1. Effects of Too Much Screen Time
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Health Education Department
Jenna Levy, Health Educator
Medical Review: Leigha Winters, MD
August 2016

2. More than 2 hours a day of screen time is bad for your health

3. Low Levels of Activity
Screen time is related to decreased physical activity and an increased risk of obesity
Obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease

4. Junk Food It’s easy to overeat junk food while watching TV
Advertisements can convince you to buy unhealthy foods

5. Sleep Problems Screen time before bed
can make it harder to fall asleep
can promote an irregular sleep cycle
Lack of sleep can lead to fatigue, anxiety, and increased snacking the next day

6. Behavioral Problems
Elementary students who spend more than 2 hours a day in front of the screen are more likely to have social, emotional, and attention problems
Video games can also increase the risk of attention problems

7. Academic Problems
Elementary students with a TV in their bedroom tend to perform worse on tests than elementary students without a TV in their bedroom
Trouble sleeping due to screen time can make students feel tired and unfocused at school

8. Violence
Too much exposure to violence in the media can make children think of violence as “normal”
Children might accept violence as a way to solve problems

9. Depression Too much screen time can contribute to depression
Less physical activity
Fewer face-to-face interactions with friends

10. Less Activity
Excess screen time leads to less activity, play time, and creativity

11. Limit Screen Time Spend 2 hours or less a day in front of a screen
Remove TVs from bedrooms
Do mini-workouts or a social activity instead of watching TV
Don’t leave TV on in the background
Keep a screen time log

12. References
PAMF Screen Time
Mayo Clinic Children’s Health