Mobile phone use has become a major component of screen time. Excessive exposure has been associated with obesity, sleep disturbances, poor academic performance, behavioral problems and psychosocial morbidity. The present study evaluated patterns of use, reasons for use and effects of mobile phone exposure among children and assessed the impact of counseling.

Prospective cohort study conducted at Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad from October 2020 to March 2021. A total of 500 children aged 1–15 years using mobile phones were enrolled. Baseline assessment was performed using a structured questionnaire. Intensive counseling was provided to parents and children. Follow‑up was conducted after 3 months. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.

Majority of participants were males (75.4%), urban residents (66.2%) and belonged to nuclear families (63%). Most children used mobile phones for 1–3 hours daily (60.4%). Watching YouTube/videos (31.6%) and gaming (25%) were the commonest activities.

The present study highlights the growing impact of mobile phone use on the physical, psychological, and social well-being of children. Most children in our study used mobile phones for 1–3 hours daily, predominantly for watching videos and playing games. Similar trends have been reported globally, where increasing access to smartphones and digital media has resulted in prolonged screen exposure among children and adolescents.¹,² Physical morbidities were highly prevalent in our study, with neck pain, shoulder pain, headache, frequent blinking, and watering of eyes being the most common complaints. These findings are consistent with previous studies demonstrating that prolonged screen use is associated with musculoskeletal discomfort, visual strain, and sedentary behaviour.³,⁴ Continuous viewing of mobile screens often leads to poor posture, repetitive strain, and digital eye strain, particularly in growing children.⁵ Psychological effects such as irritability, hyperactivity, inability to sit at one place, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were also observed. Similar observations have been reported by Muduli et al. and Kim et al., who found a positive correlation between excessive mobile phone use and anxiety-related symptoms among children and adolescents.⁶,⁷ Furthermore, studies have shown that excessive screen exposure may interfere with emotional regulation, attention span, and behavioural development.⁸ Social consequences were equally important. Delayed speech, poor scholastic performance, delayed response to verbal commands, and antisocial behaviour were frequently reported in the present study. Earlier studies have demonstrated that excessive screen time reduces parent-child interaction and social engagement, thereby affecting language development and academic performance.⁹,¹⁰ Hale and Guan also reported an association between excessive screen exposure and disturbed sleep patterns, which may indirectly contribute to poor school performance and behavioural problems.¹¹ An important finding of our study was the significant improvement observed following three months of intensive counseling. Reduction in hyperactivity, irritability, delayed verbal response, and poor scholastic performance suggests that parental education and behavioral modification strategies can effectively mitigate the adverse effects of excessive mobile phone use. These findings support recommendations from pediatric organizations advocating regulated screen exposure and active parental involvement. The strengths of our study include a large sample size and prospective follow-up. However, limitations include its single-center design, dependence on parental reporting, and loss to follow-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further multicentric studies are needed to develop evidence-based guidelines for safe mobile phone use among children.

Excessive mobile phone use has significant adverse effects on children. Early parental counseling and regulation of screen exposure can reduce these morbidities.

1. Bar-On ME, et al. Pediatrics. 2001;107:423-426. 2. Neiman P. Paediatr Child Health. 2003;8:301-306. 3. Christakis DA, et al. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009;163:554-558. 4. Tremblay MS, et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011;8:98. 5. LeBlanc AG, et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012;9:35. 6. Costigan SA, et al. J Adolesc Health. 2013;52:382-392. 7. Davey S, Davey A. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2014. 8. Suchert V, et al. Prev Med. 2015;76:48-57. 9. Hale L, Guan S. Sleep Med Rev. 2015;21:50-58. 10. Carson V, et al. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016;41:S240-S265. 11. Hoare E, et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2016;13:108.