New study reveals the United Arab Emirates is home to the most tech-obsessed kids

With excessive screen time leaving us exposed to several health issues such as obesity, sleep problems, chronic neck and back problems, depression, anxiety as well as many other health conditions, we want to find out the true impact technology has on our children.

Lenstore has conducted a study to determine the most tech-obsessed children and the impact it is having on the next generation. By analysing metrics such as child obesity, daily time spent on the internet and the level of physical activity for children, the study uncovers where in the world the most tech- obsessed kids live. 

The study also looks at how the level of physical activity among British children has changed over the years, as well as how often they are going outside to play.

You can view the full study here.

The United Arab Emirates ranks in first place with the most tech-obsessed kids

Based on our analysis, the countries with the most tech- obsessed children are:

*Each country was awarded a score from 1 to 18. The higher the number, the worse sedentary behaviour or physical activity was deemed to be. 

It turns out children in the UAE are most obsessed with their phones. Due to a poor physical activity score of 17 (this score shows a low % of UAE children meeting the guideline of 60 minutes of physical activity every day) and reaching a high daily internet time of over 7 hours, the Western Asia country takes the crown as being home to the most tech- obsessed children.

In second place is the United States. With a sedentary behaviour mark of 11, less than half of U.S. children adhere to the recommended 2 hours or less of screen time per day. Brazil rounds off the top three countries. With an overall physical score of 11 and a sedentary behaviour mark of 12, less than half of Brazilian children are following the recommended exercise or screen time guidelines.

At the other end of the scale is India. Here is where you will find the children less obsessed with their tech devices. The rate of child obesity is falling in this nation, thus it has been estimated to have a child obesity rate of 2% by 2025. The South Asia country has received a score of 9 for sedentary behaviours, which indicates nearly half of Indian youths are meeting the screen time advice.

Look at the table below to see which other countries made the list as the locations with the lowest rates of tech- obsessed children:

*Each country was awarded a score from 1 to 18. The higher the number, the worse sedentary behaviour or physical activity was deemed to be.

Kids are becoming less active, with less than half meeting daily physical activity guidelines

According to Gov.uk children from the ages of 0 – 5 years old should be encouraged to be active for at least 180 minutes a day, whilst those between 5 – 18 years old should aim for at least 60 minutes daily.

A study by Sport England found that just over four in 10 children and young people are achieving 60+ minutes of exercise daily. While one in three children were active for less than 30 minutes a day.

With 51% of children typically aged between 11 – 13 achieving daily exercise of 60 minutes or more during the term year 2019/20, this group were found to be the most active. On the other hand, the data shows that children aged between 7 – 9  to be the least active. Only 38% of children in this age bracket were found to be active for 60 minutes or more each day — the majority were physically active for less than 30 minutes a day (39%). This in fact is a 15% increase from the previous year, which saw 34% of kids between the ages of  7 – 9  achieving less than 30 minutes of exercise.

Children are spending less time going outside to play and explore

The amount of time youngsters are spending outdoors is on the decline — a study by the People and Nature Survey for England found that over a six-year period starting from 2013/14, there has been a steep decline in the amount of time children spend time outdoors without an adult — originally at 22% in 2013/14, that number has dropped to 17%, highlighting a 23% fall.

Only 10% of children spent time outside with their friends of a similar age over the period of 2018/19 (which was a 23% drop from 2013/14) while just 5% took a trip outdoors by themselves. 

At the same time, the amount of children that spent time outdoors accompanied by adults has seen a decline — initially at 78% in 2013/14 this figure has dropped significantly by 8% to 72% in 2018/19.

The data also found that within a 12-month period, almost 1 in 5 children under 5 years old never spent time outdoors.

Children now are spending their free time in other ways that do not involve being outdoors. With online gaming and social media being popular amongst children and teenagers, young people are developing new ways to interact with their peers that do not involve being outside. 

With the amount of time spent indoors increasing, we see a decrease in children's physical activities. More and more young people are failing to meet the recommended exercise guideline set out for them. 

Roshni Patel, BSc (Hons) MCOptom, professional services manager at Lenstore comments: “Prolonged screen time will not only influence children's physical activity levels but could also have long-lasting effects on their eyesight. With phones and computers becoming a part of learning and leisure time for children — the amount of time they have logged staring at a screen has increased. Unfortunately, this extended use of digital screens without breaks can cause eye strain and soreness. There are concerns that this may increase the risk of them developing short-sightedness or cause further progression for those who already suffer with it.

Children should be taking regular breaks from screens and spending time outdoors. However, when they're having screen time, the correct adjustment should be made to avoid any eye problems.”

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