Association of screen time with sleep quality among adolescents between 10-15 years of age from the schools of belagavi city - a cross sectional study

A rising percentage of adolescents allocate their free time to screens, involving smartphones, tablets gaming consoles and television(1), causing worries among parents, health professionals and educators about the impact of screen time and overall well being. The age at which children regularly interact with screens has fallen from 4 years to 4 months (2). Various studies have shown the hazardous impact of excessive screen use on health. Study conducted across all the countries has showed an average increase of 50 minutes per day since 2013(3). Screen time has increased by 52 percent in adolescents post COVID in India (4). The consumption of YouTube surged during the 2010 Indian Premier League, hitting a daily viewership of over two billion. Predictably, this figure has doubled in each subsequent IPL season. Survey in January 2022 revealed that 13 percent of Indian respondents living in small cities used more than 10 social media platforms(5).

Gaming industry has evolved to an unmatchable extent. Excessive use of screens for gaming pursuits has shown lack of physical activity, behavioural problems, depressive symptoms, including sleep quality in adolescents (6). A statistically noteworthy correlation was identified between aggression and the age and gender of players, particularly prevalent among early adolescent males. Additionally, three studies revealed that, extended durations of video game play significantly correlated with an increased risk of aggression(7). Dopamine, cortisol, serotonin, oxytocin and adrenaline influences the mood and behaviour, especially in adolescent age group. In relation to cortisol, the primary hormone associated with anxiety, it has been observed that video games featuring violent content or those inducing high excitement or fear have a tendency to elevate the levels of cortisol (8).

The circadian rhythm of the human sleep-wake cycle is mainly guided by sunlight. Daylight increases alertness, while darkness triggers the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleepiness. Adolescents experiencing insomnia symptoms often have anincreased screen time. Screen usage delays the release of melatonin, prolonging the time to initiate sleep, resulting in less restful overall sleep. Researchers suggest that children and adolescents might be particularly susceptible to the impact of blue light due to their eyesallowing more light exposure (9).

Study conducted among the Canadian elementary school children’s physical activity and screen time during the Covid 19 has showed a negative influence on sleep quality and behaviour (10). Various articles and papers are published across India on impact of screen time on physical, mental, social and spiritual health. Many sleep quality research have been conducted in age groups ranging from 5 to 40 years of age. However there are no studies conducted on quality of sleep, development including mental and physical health among the adolescents in India.