LAFAYETTE PARISH — Children today are spending more time than ever in front of screens—and health experts say the emotional consequences are becoming harder to ignore.
New research shows families are spending more than 96 hours a year arguing over screen time. That’s the equivalent of two full workweeks lost to tech-related tension. But pediatricians warn the emotional toll on kids is even greater.
Doctors are reporting an increase in screen-driven issues like tantrums, sleep disruptions, and anxiety—symptoms linked to digital overload.
Nurse practitioner Lori Cox with Ochsner Health said she’s seeing these behaviors more often in her young patients. “More of it is the jumping up and down, just not able to compensate with taking it away—the daily life, the daily living when they don't have it,” Cox said. “They just can't cope. It's almost like taking things away from them they don't know, like tantrums and whatnot.”
Cox warned that too much digital time can overstimulate children and leave them emotionally exhausted. She recommended parents establish clear screen-time limits and create unplugged routines that help children reset.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recommended no more than one to two hours of recreational screen time per day, depending on a child’s age. Experts said it’s also important to monitor content, encourage face-to-face interaction, and set screen-free times—especially during meals and before bed. As a parent, it can be easy to lose track of time, but sticking to these guidelines helps support healthy emotional development.
