This is how to tell if your child is addicted to screens

Tablet and phones can be a godsend, but at what cost?

We all know that excessive screen time is bad for kids but a new study suggests that rather than asking how much time is too much, we should ask how the device is being used. The kind of content the child is exposed to could be more important, according to researchers at the University of Michigan, and could have an impact on how 'addicted' to screens the child is. The key to telling whether or not your child is addicted, according to their research, is how they act when the screen isn't there. Warning signs for addiction include if it interferes with daily activities, causes conflict for the child or in the family or is the only activity that makes the child happy. Kids who have unhealthy relationships with their screens are more likely to have problems with relationships, behaviour and other emotional symptoms, according to the study's lead author Sarah Domoff. "Our study has demonstrated that there is more to it than number of hours," she said. "What matters most is whether screen use causes problems in other areas of life or has become an all-consuming activity." This comes after a survey last month found that the majority of children said that screen time was their favourite activity. Using computers, tablets and games consoles was the preferred pastime for 84 per cent of kids between six and twelve in a BBC Children In Need survey.