It’s a 21st-century addiction — of varying degrees — for all. Digital screen-time addiction is becoming a global problem that’s spreading fast. It’s even more dangerous for children and adolescents with latest research linking it to sleep deprivation, poor eye health, loss of attention and focus, and psychological problems such as lack of self-esteem and depression in their formative years.

With the number of smartphone users in India estimated at over 700 million, digital screen addiction is reportedly afflicting children below five years of age. According to a recent study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, children under five in urban India are spending an average 2.2 hours daily staring at digital screens. Another study published in BMJ Pediatrics Open estimates that over 60 percent of children aged two-five years are exposed to digital screens for two-four hours daily. This far exceeds the WHO guidelines of 0-1 hour screen time for this age group. Quite rightly, the blame for initiating youngest children into digital media is being laid at the door of parents and caregivers using digital media “to feed, soothe and occupy kids”.

In India’s crowded metros and fast-growing tier II, III and IV cities in which double-income households have become the norm, the smartphone and/or computer tablet is incrementally discharging the role of baby-sitter. Illiterate/quasi-literate house helpers and nannies of upscale citizens as also stressed-out middle-class parents struggling to balance demanding jobs and long daily commutes are using digital devices to calm, cajole and soothe youngest children. The outcome of this growing dependence on digital screens is that a large number of preschoolers are missing key developmental milestones in their critical formative years.

In our cover story this month, we beam the spotlight on the disturbing phenomenon of digital screen addiction in youngest children and its devastating consequences. We present curated information from qualified pediatricians about how the digital screen habit is adversely affecting the cognitive development of children and provide solutions from early childhood experts to reduce children’s access to smartphones, television and digital media.

There’s lot else in this information-packed issue of ParentsWorld. Check out our PW Focus essay in which Bengaluru-based legal advisor Nagaraj B.S. presents a parents’ guide to protecting children’s personal digital data, and Middle Years story in which Delhi-based pediatrician Dr. Tarun Singh shares valuable information about the symptoms and prevention of pediatric hypertension.

Also Read: Letter from Managing Editor July 2025 issue