In this day and age, it's almost impossible to keep your child away from electronic devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Doctors suggest screen time should be limited to a maximum of two hours for children aged 2 and above. If that's not followed, the impact on them can be pretty worrying, like poor social and emotional development, language problems, brain growth, and even early puberty. Dr. Vaidehi Mehta, Consultant-Paediatric, Surya Hospitals Santacruz, shares how excessive screen time can trigger early puberty.
Study Finds Screen Time Does Affect Hormones
A study, published in 2022, found that exposure to the blue light that is emitted by smartphones and tablets has the potential to alter one's hormonal levels, thus increasing the risk of hitting puberty earlier than normal.
As per lead researcher Aylin Kilinç Uğurlu, MD, of Ankara City Hospital in Ankara, Turkey, the observations were done on rats, and so while it gives valuable leads, the effect of blue light exposure may not be the same for humans. However, when ovulation and hormonal changes that happen in the pre-puberty and puberty stages in female rats are concerned, it is comparable to humans. So, there can be some link between a child's overconsumption of smartphone data and early puberty, as indicated in this study.
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Now, it's known that the content on these electronic gadgets keeps children and teenagers captivated for a long time and if not managed well by the guardians, this habit often turns into addiction. It then becomes very difficult to break that chain and return to normalcy. Dr. Mehta cautions, "Even while it isn't directly related, a child's prolonged screen usage might affect their emotional and behavioral health, leading to autism spectrum disorders."
How Does Screen Time Trigger Early Puberty
"Due to too much screen time, kids don't eat healthily and frequently nibble on unhealthy foods late at night, which over time can lead to hormonal imbalances," shares Dr. Mehta.
When teenagers and children are hooked to smartphones, their sleep patterns and quality also get affected negatively and it "impacts the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, a major regulator of puberty," leading to the possibility of early puberty, she points out.
"Melatonin, a hormone essential for controlling sleep and circadian rhythms, is disrupted by blue light which leads to difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep," Dr. Mehta explains.
"In addition to physical changes, early puberty can cause social difficulties, psychological stress, and a higher chance of developing diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension," she wraps up.
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