Psychosocial, Behavioural, and Health Consequences of Excessive Digital Device Use among Children and Adults: A Systematic Review

Background: Excessive digital device use has become an important public health concern because of its association with psychosocial, behavioural, and physical health complications among children and adults.
Objective: The present systematic review aimed to evaluate the psychosocial, behavioural, social, and health consequences associated with excessive digital device use across different age groups.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines using PubMed, Scopus, Web of
Science, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases. Studies published between January 2016 and December 2025 were screened using predefined eligibility criteria. After duplicate removal and full-text assessment, 226 studies were included in the final qualitative synthesis.
Results: A total of 226 studies were included in the final qualitative synthesis, with most investigations comprising cross- sectional studies involving adolescents and young adults. The reviewed evidence consistently demonstrated significant associations between excessive digital device use and multiple psychosocial, behavioural, social, and physical health complications across paediatric and adult populations. Prolonged screen exposure was frequently associated with adverse psychological outcomes including anxiety, depressive symptoms, emotional dysregulation, stress, behavioural dependency, and fear of missing out (FOMO). Sleep-related disturbances such as insomnia, delayed sleep onset, circadian rhythm disruption, daytime fatigue, and poor sleep quality were commonly reported among both adolescents and adults. Physical health consequences included obesity, sedentary behaviour, musculoskeletal discomfort, postural abnormalities, headaches, and digital eye strain. Excessive digital engagement was additionally associated with impaired academic performance, reduced occupational productivity, social isolation, cyberbullying exposure, and family communication difficulties. Adolescents and young adults appeared particularly vulnerable because of increased social media engagement, problematic smartphone use, and prolonged recreational screen exposure.
Conclusion: Excessive digital device use is associated with substantial psychosocial, behavioural, social, and physical
health consequences across paediatric and adult populations. Evidence-based digital wellness interventions, behavioural
counselling, sleep hygiene promotion, and multidisciplinary public health strategies are essential to reduce technology-
associated health risks.