The effects of mobile media devices and internet on daily lives and health of children

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the health-related impacts of internet use and screen exposure among children and adolescents, focusing on their relationship with obesity, sleep habits, and parental factors. Methods A total of 220 children (51.8% girls, 48.2% boys) aged 5–18 years who presented to the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic of Abant Izzet Baysal University were included in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected via structured face-to-face questionnaires covering demographic characteristics, daily screen exposure, internet usage patterns, dietary habits, and anthropometric measurements. Body mass index (BMI) and z-scores were calculated according to WHO growth charts. Statistical analyses included chi-square and t-tests, with <em>P</em> < .05 considered significant. Results The mean age of participants was 12.8 ± 3.4 years. The mean daily screen time was 3.1 ± 1.4 hours, and 38.2% of children exceeded 2 hours/day of screen exposure. Overweight or obesity was detected in 26.4% of the cohort and was significantly associated with >2 hours/day of screen use (<em>P</em> = .021). Children who spent ≥2 hours watching television had higher BMI z-scores (mean = 1.12 ± 0.24) than those who watched less (mean = 0.48 ± 0.20). Internet use ≥2 hours/day was reported by 33.5%, and this was significantly correlated with reduced physical activity (<em>P</em> = .034) and irregular sleep patterns (<em>P</em> = .029). Parental education was significantly associated with internet filtering use (<em>P</em> = .042). Conclusion This study demonstrates that excessive and uncontrolled use of mobile devices and the internet is closely associated with sedentary behavior, an increased risk of overweight/obesity, and poor sleep quality in children. The results emphasize the need for public health strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of excessive screen exposure among children.