Screen Time and Its Impact on Physical and Mental Health in Children Aged 11–12 Years: A Systematic Review
Background: The rapid expansion of smartphones, tablets, computers, gaming platforms, and social media has fundamentally altered daily routines during early adolescence [1]. This developmental window (aged 11–12 years) is characterized by major biological, psychological, and social transitions [2–4]. Increasing screen exposure during this stage may influence physical activity, sleep, adiposity, mental health, and social functioning [5,6].
Objective: To systematically synthesize empirical evidence regarding the quantitative and qualitative associations between screen time exposure and physical and mental health outcomes specifically among children aged 11–12 years.
Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines [7]. Systematic searches were executed across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar from database inception through 2026. Observational (cohort and cross-sectional) and intervention studies evaluating screen exposure and physical or mental health outcomes in children aged 11–12 years were included [8,9]. Quality assessment was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cohort studies and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for cross-sectional studies [10,11].
Results: Of 2,840 identified records, 6 primary studies (N = 34,705 participants total) met all inclusion criteria [12–17]. Higher recreational screen time (greater than 2 hours per day) was consistently associated with shorter sleep duration (beta = -0.21 to -0.34), higher Body Mass Index (BMI) z-scores (OR = 1.28 to 1.42), and lower physical activity levels [12,13,15]. Problematic social media and mobile phone use were significantly correlated with elevated internalizing symptoms, including anxiety (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.12 to 1.63) and depressive symptoms (beta = 0.18, p less than 0.001) [12,14,17]. Methodological appraisals indicated low-to-moderate risk of bias across included primary studies [10,11].
Conclusion: Excessive and problematic screen exposure acts as a significant modifiable behavioral risk factor for adverse physical and mental health outcomes in early adolescence [18–20]. Interventions should target sleep hygiene, bedtime device removal, and content quality rather than focusing exclusively on total screen duration [1,7].
Keywords: screen time, early adolescence, mental health, physical health, pediatric obesity, sleep disruption, anxiety, digital media, systematic review.
