My latest Safe Sound Science with Granny Jan series is on the Dangers of screen time for children and teens at home and school. Now on YouTube and TikTok, I share how frequent hours of screen time and personal listening can have a dangerous impact on the health and well-being of children and teens. It’s a big concern with screen time and use of headphones or earbuds increasing as digital devices like gaming systems, computers, laptops, tablets, or cellphones are more commonly used at school and home.
Some caregivers are questioning if risks outweigh the potential learning benefits if teachers assign screen-based options in class or for homework. I also share excessive screen time risks in YouTube shorts.
Balanced Approach
This series is based on a study I co-authored along with lead author Julie Cullen, Alex Muntz, Samantha Marsh, Lorna Simmonds, Keryn O’Neill, and Scott Duncan. We looked across different areas to see how screen time impacts young people including brain development, physical health, vision, sleep, and mental health. There can be emotional and social harms. The danger of using headphones or earbuds during screen time adds risk of noise-induced tinnitus, hyperacusis, and hearing loss. This is all preventable.
We concluded there needs to be a balanced approach to help minimize risks while recognizing how essential it is to be digitally literate in our modern world. We can certainly better protect children and teens from screen time and personal listening by avoiding early use and limiting later use, depending on age.
New Age-Based Digital Device Guidelines
In 2024, the Pediatric Society of New Zealand used our study as a basis for their new recommended age-based guidelines on the use of digital tech, from early childhood education to older students.
In 2025, the New Zealand Ministry of Education published new age-based guidelines on health and safety management of digital device use by staff and students, in consultation with the Pediatric Society of New Zealand and WorkSafe New Zealand.
Quiet cheers to all involved, especially Julie Cullen for spearheading science-based change to better protect our children and teens from this digital world we live in.
I also want to give quiet cheers to my co-author Dr. Daniel Fink. This series is also based on scientific articles we’ve published on tinnitus and hyperacusis caused by noise damage to human health including dangers of personal listening with headphones or earbuds.
Just like there is no such thing as a safe cigarette, there is no such thing as a safe personal audio system. Dr. Daniel Fink
For more information, check out my full Digital Tech Dangers video or shorts on topics including:
- the health impact of screen time on children and teens,
- recommended screen time at home,
- recommended screen time at school,
- tips to protect kids & teens at home and school, including cellphone bans, and
- suggestions for caregivers.
I even made an educational quiz to test your knowledge. Check it out on TikTok or YouTube.
What do you think about screen time and personal listening at home or school? Let me know in comments.
There are lots more videos to choose from at Safe Sound Science with Granny Jan. My topics range from tinnitus hyperacusis self-help strategies to protecting humans and other species from harmful community and environmental noise pollution.
For a change of pace, check out my Messed Up Storytime with Granny Jan where you can choose between poems, funny stories, and scary sweary horror tales.