Behavioral and academic impact of excessive screen time among adolescents of North India

Abstract

The rapid growth of digital technology has significantly influenced lifestyle patterns, especially among adolescents. Increased screen exposure for academics, entertainment, and communication has raised concerns regarding its impact on emotional well-being and academic success. The study aims to evaluates the effect of high screen time on behavioral health and academic performance among adolescents in urban schools of North India. This School Based Cross-Sectional Study was conducted among 369 adolescents aged 14–16 years selected using convenience sampling from three urban schools in 2023–2024. Screen time was self-reported as average number of hours per day, behavioral assessment was conducted using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) and the brief psychiatric rating scale for children (BPRS-C). Academic performance was assessed using school records. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 using independent student T test and a P value of <0.05 was considered significant. Overall, 38.4% of students reported more than 10 hours of daily screen use, and all of them were male ( P < 0.05). Increase screen time was significantly associated with higher SDQ scores ( P < 0.05). BPRS-C scores were also higher (26.7 vs. 13.5; P < 0.05), indicating more severe psychiatric symptoms. Academic performance was poor among high screen users (64.4% vs. 83.1%; P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis also showed screen time above 9.5 hours/day strongly predicted poor academic performance (area under curve (AUC) = 0.9). The study proposes structured screen-time regulation, parental supervision, school-based digital literacy programs, and early Behavioral screening as key strategies to improve adolescent health.