Doctors in the UAE are reporting a growing number of children suffering from issues such as difficulty sleeping and concentrating that are linked to excessive screen time, prompting warnings that restrictions on phone use in schools are not enough to protect young people.
Dr Sudha Rao, a specialist in paediatrics at Aster Clinic in Al Jaddaf, told The National she had seen a noticeable increase in children experiencing problems associated with prolonged use of screens, particularly use late at night.
"There has been a substantial rise in children presenting with sleep disruptions leading to disorganized body clock or “circadian rhythms”, leading to fatigue, eye health issues such as myopia or near-sightedness," she said. "There are also behavioural concerns that are directly tied to excessive screen use, like 'digital tantrums'."
Health and education experts are urging parents to take greater responsibility for children’s screen habits, including keeping phones and other devices out of bedrooms.
Their concerns are supported by research from Saudi Arabia involving 500 children aged six to 12. It found that 66.7 per cent of those using screens for more than four hours a day had difficulty falling asleep, compared with 9.5 per cent of those using them for less than an hour.
Dr Rao also cited an Omani study that reported a 33.7 per cent figure for poor sleep among students with screen-induced visual impairment.
She said paediatric behavioural reports and UAE school studies authorised by the Dubai Health Authority found that children with less than two hours of recreational screen time a day scored 20 to 25 per cent higher in attention and memory tasks than children whose screen time exceeded four hours.
School leaders said that while technology was necessary for some learning and entertainment, the challenge recognising when devices were crowding out activities children needed for healthy development.
“The question is no longer simply how much time children spend on screens, but what they are exposed to, how they engage and what essential developmental experiences may be displaced,” said Nevita Pandya, chief executive and principal of Gems International School, Dubai Hills.
Lost sleep shows up in school
Teachers are increasingly noticing pupils displaying signs of tiredness, difficulties concentrating and problems with managing frustration.
These are complex issues with several possible causes alongside excessive screen use, but boundaries during the day need to be supported at home, said Helen Pereira-Raso, superintendent and chief executive of Gems Dubai American Academy.
“For example, a school can intentionally protect attention and engagement throughout the day, but a child who is regularly losing sleep because of recreational device use may still struggle to participate fully in learning.”
Dr Rao said parents should look at how screen habits affect children's daily lives, including homework, physical play, family meals and friendships.
“It is also deeply concerning if the screen viewing becomes the only way a child manages boredom, stress, sadness or difficult emotions,” she said.
The concerns become greater as children grow older. Ms Pandya said younger children could miss opportunities for conversation, imaginative play and social interaction, while adolescents faced challenges with sleep, social comparison and peer relationships.
Setting boundaries without friction
Experts recommend consistent routines that include keeping devices out of bedrooms overnight and protecting family time.
Phones, tablets and gaming devices could be left to charge in a shared space for one or two hours before bedtime, Dr Rao recommended. She also suggested screen-free mealtimes.
For families facing distress or arguments when a device is taken away, she advised giving children advance warning and establishing predictable stop times.
Timers could help in such cases and make the boundary clear. Planning activities to follow, such as going outside or playing with a pet, can also help ease the transition.
She recommended that parents remain calm and acknowledge the frustration without abandoning the agreed limit.
Ms Pereira-Raso said parents also need to understand what children are doing online and how it makes them feel.
“We must also recognise that children need more than restrictions. They need adults who are curious about their digital experiences, who engage in conversations about what they encounter online, and who help them develop the capacity to make thoughtful choices.”
At Gems International School, Dubai Hills, personal phones must remain “on site, out of sight”. Ms Pandya said the policy aimed to protect pupils' attention and reduce distraction.
“Clear boundaries are an important part of a purposeful learning environment,” she said.
Keeping technology useful
Managing screen use should allow room for purposeful digital learning alongside reading, practical activities and face-to-face discussion.
“We cannot treat all screen time as equal,” said Ms Pereira-Raso. “A child passively consuming content for hours is having a fundamentally different experience from one using technology to investigate a complex problem, collaborate with peers, develop an idea or create something meaningful.”
Preparing children for a technologically advanced world also needs effort to develop children's ability to concentrate, make decisions and manage distractions independently.
“However, being future-ready does not mean spending more time on devices.”
These expectations also apply to adults, Ms Pandya said. She encouraged parents to examine their own relationship with technology.
Ms Pereira-Raso suggested setting an example by putting phones away during conversations to demonstrate the habits families want their children to learn.
“Children are observing how we manage our own attention, whether we put our phones away during conversations, and how present we are in our relationships with them,” she said.