Harbingers’ Magazine is a weekly online current affairs magazine written and edited by teenagers worldwide.
harbinger | noun
har·bin·ger | \ˈhär-bən-jər\
1. one that initiates a major change: a person or thing that originates or helps open up a new activity, method, or technology; pioneer.
2. something that foreshadows a future event : something that gives an anticipatory sign of what is to come.
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Researchers have found a correlation between prolonged use of electronic devices and physical and mental health issues among teenagers, and conclude that it is vital to reduce the time young people spend on their devices.
These findings highlight the importance of jointly considering screen time and sleep patterns in assessing early-life risk factors for cardiometabolic and cardiovascular health.
A 2025 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association recorded the time spent on screen and the time spent asleep by more than 1,000 kids and teenagers in Denmark. The investigation measured cardiometabolic health data, including cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and insulin resistance.
It revealed that each additional hour of screen time (watching TV or using electronic devices) was associated with a higher cardiometabolic risk for teenagers and children. More time on screen also meant they reported fewer hours of sleep.
Study lead Dr David Horner from the University of Copenhagen remarked that in children, shorter sleep duration helped explain the link between screen time and heart and metabolic health, accounting for about 12% of the association.
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Horner concluded: “Insufficient sleep may not only magnify the impact of screen time but could be a key pathway linking screen habits to early metabolic changes.”
Similarly, another 2025 studypublished in Science Direct examined the link between screen time (on social media, gaming and TV) with mental health problems. The research was based on data from more than 23,000 Norwegian teens aged 14 to 16. Scientists analysed genetic data from the participants, because some mental health disorders are strongly affected by genetic variations.
The study foundthat over 3,800 participants had a psychiatric diagnosis, whereas the others did not. All types of screen time had clear associations with mental illness. In fact, teenagers who spent three to four hours or more per day on any screen-based activity had increased odds of a lifetime diagnosis of depressive, anxiety/stress-related or hyperkinetic (such as ADHD) disorders.
Device dependency
This is deeply concerning, as a Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) report conducted from mid-2021 to late 2023 found that around 50% of American teens aged 12 to 17 spend at least four hours daily in front of screens.
Teens who spent more than three hours a dayon screen-based activities had a significantly higher chance of having a psychiatric diagnosis.
This is true regardless of the type of activity – whether they are watching TV, playing video games, or scrolling through social media.
Child behavioural expert Dr Jennifer Cross explains that the issue with mobile devices such as tablets and phones is that they draw people in, while being “portable” and “ubiquitous”.
Phone use also starts early: most 11- to 12-year-olds in the US have their own smartphone, according to a Pew Research Center survey published in 2025. Experts advise against it and recommend postponing phone use until at least the age of 13, especially when it comes to social media. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of the bestselling bookThe Anxious Generation, recommends waiting until 16.
Fortunately, in recent years, there has been an increased awareness of excessive screen time use. In fact, a third of teenagers (36%) themselves believe they spend too much time on social media, according to a Pew Research Centre study from 2022. They are also conscious of the effort that it would take them to quit.
A noteworthy example of concrete action is Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s, which came into force at the end of 2025. It’s currently too soon to tell what impact this will have, or whether other countries will enforce the same measures.
Born in 2008 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Malena is passionate about journalism, psychology and literature. Having lived in the United States, Brazil and now Argentina, Malena brings a multicultural perspective to her pieces and studies.
In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, spending time with friends and reading. She is actively involved in school activities, especially Model United Nations (MUN), where she explores global issues and brainstorms solutions.
Malena is fluent in English and Spanish, with additional knowledge of Portuguese and French.
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