By Jessica Kelley and Micah Stoner, Student Pharmacists with Karen Kier, Pharmacist 
On behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

A digital ecosystem is defined as a compilation of digital media, including television, social media, video games, the internet and interactive assistants.  Interactive assistants are AI-powered software or systems that help people complete tasks, provide information, or automate actions. This can include Siri, Google Assistant and Microsoft Copilot. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement in its February 2026 professional journal, Pediatrics. The policy statement provides evidence for the impact of the digital ecosystem on childhood development. After this statement was released, additional studies continue to be published, including the impact on heart health and brain changes. 

With technology being a part of our daily life, many children spend more time on phones, tablets and computers. This has raised concerns about how screen time may impact long-term health, particularly heart health. Heart health is influenced by cardiometabolic risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. When these are not well controlled, the risk of developing heart disease increases.

Researchers studied over 1,000 children and adolescents to see if screen time affects these cardiometabolic risk factors. They followed participants from childhood into adolescence to better understand the long-term effects of screen time on the heart. One study followed the participants from birth until they were 10 years old between 2000 and 2010 with the second study following participants from birth until they were 18 years old between 2000 and 2018.

Researchers found that each additional hour of screen time was linked to higher cardiometabolic risk factors in both children and adolescents. This means even small increases in daily screen time may worsen blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Researchers found that more screen time was associated with a higher risk of future heart disease in adolescents. Children who had more screen time and shorter sleep periods had the highest risk. While this study does not prove that screen time directly causes heart disease, it does show a strong association between the long-term impact on heart health and screen time. These data are an early indicator, and more research is needed to fully understand this relationship with age.

As researchers evaluate heart health with screen time, more evidence has emerged about the effect on the brain.

A cohort study published in January of 2026 sought to find what impact the increased prevalence of screen time has had on the minds of our most vulnerable population - children. The researchers hypothesized that there would be an increase in anxiety in children who had more exposure to screen time as infants.

The study included tracking hours of screen time between the ages of 1 to 2 years, performing brain imaging (MRIs) at ages 4½  to 7½ years, the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) at age 8½ and the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) at age 13. The researchers found a connection between screen time in infancy and the development of anxiety at age 13 and older. 

According to the researchers, increased screen time caused a change in the child’s brain related to sensory input and interpretation. This part of the brain matured more quickly with increased screen time, likely due to overstimulation. When taking the CGT, children with higher exposure to screens took longer to make decisions. Although they would still arrive at the correct answer, their time to make the decision was longer. This increase in deliberation time correlated with an increase in anxiety measured by the MASC levels later in life. 

This study confirms previous findings from other youth studies evaluating the impact of screen time on cognitive function.  Studies published in JAMA Pediatrics in 2019 and Psychiatry Research in 2022 discussed findings of delayed decision-making in youth with higher screen time. A 2018 study published in Preventive Medicine Reports indicated cognitive deficiencies in youth with extended screen time. 

It is difficult to say with certainty how exposure to screens is affecting us and our future generations. However, it is recommended that screen time be closely monitored and restricted for those in early developmental stages. In addition to the brain, the importance of sleep and screen time on heart health should be considered. Better sleep can help lower cardiometabolic risk. Healthy sleep habits include limiting screen time before bed, avoiding bright lights and noise and following a consistent bedtime routine. Taking time to relax before sleep can help the body unwind. 

Thinking about limiting our digital ecosystem can have some benefits for our hearts and brains.