When screens steal mealtime: How phones affect eating habits of kids

According to A 2025 IAP-linked hospital-based study on 771 children found that average screen exposure had risen to 2.6 hours a day, and critically, only 1% of children under two met the recommended limits.

Recent studies are cautioning that the habit of digital parenting is not a mere negligence at the time but signifies a behaviour that is responsible for the slowdown in communication, getting less attention and being emotionally detached- particularly, in a situation where children’s communication with the world is mainly through screens during the critical development period. New studies from all over India are providing strong evidence for these anxieties

Giving a child a phone while feeding can undoubtedly seem an easy way to pacify him or her, but in the long run, children’s behaviour and development may be affected that way. A child watching a screen during the whole meal time will not pick up the signals of hunger or fullness. Overeating, picky eating or reliance on screens for completing meals may be the consequences. Besides this, the child will probably get crankier without the device as he/she has not learned self-soothing or patience. Children distracted by screens often make poor food choices, adding more junk and fast food to their diet. Mealtimes get stretched, and they become picky eaters who don’t chew properly. This rushed, mindless eating affects digestion and can lead to gut-related issues over time

Children’s brain is constantly stimulated during meal times with the use of a phone which makes them immune to the fast and flashy content. This can shorten the attention span, impair emotional control, and cause them to be restless in normal quiet situations. Such behaviours problems as impulsiveness or lack of focus in school may gradually become more pronounced.

In the future, this practice may bring along a chain of bad eating habits, childhood obesity, insomnia and heightened anxiety levels. Kids dining with screens are also more likely to develop a negative relationship with food.

Normally, meal time is the best opportunity for them to connect with family, pick up social cues, enjoy different textures and create healthy habits. To prevent these issues, following these simple habits such as avoid screen time during meals, build healthy family food habits and encourage children by teaching them about the taste, colour and benefits of food. Mealtimes should be calm and pressure-free, with no force-feeding, helping kids develop a better relationship with food. A phone replacing this interaction can prevent a child from experiencing important moments of learning. Hence, it is advisable to use stories, toys, or slow conversations as methods to attract their attention during feeding.

(The writer is a Consultant - Paediatrics & Paediatric Intensive Care, Aster RV Hospital)