Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental illness characterized by intrusive, unwelcome thoughts and compulsive, repeated activities. These unwanted thoughts and actions can make life very hard for the person who has them and for those who care about them.

Kids often spend more time on devices during the holidays, which causes parents to worry about possible damage.

A new national study led by UC San Francisco researchers and published in the Journal of Adolescent Health today found that the risk of OCD in preteens went up by 13% for every hour they played video games and by 11% for every hour they watched videos.

According to Jason Nagata, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at UCSF and the study’s principal author, “children who spend excessive time playing video games report feeling the need to play more and more and being unable to stop despite trying.” 

Obsessive or compulsive thinking about video game material is possible, experts warn.

Additionally, watching videos might encourage obsessive viewing of similar material, and he warned that algorithms and adverts can make this tendency worse.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental illness characterized by intrusive, unwelcome thoughts and compulsive, repeated activities. These unwanted thoughts and actions can make life very hard for the person who has them and for those who care about them.

“Screen addictions are associated with compulsivity and loss of behavioral control, which are core symptoms of OCD,” Nagata adds.

Researchers asked 9,204 preteens between the ages of 9 and 10 how much time they spent on different platforms. On average, they spent 3.9 hours per day on these platforms. After two years, the study participants’ primary caregivers were interviewed on their OCD symptoms and diagnosis. Screen use for educational purposes was not included in the study.

At the two-year period, 4.4% of preteens were newly diagnosed with OCD. Both playing video games and watching streaming videos were linked to an increased chance of acquiring OCD. Social media, video chat, and texting did not separately correlate with OCD, but researchers speculate that this may be because the preteens in the sample did not use these platforms often. They emphasized that results for older teenagers can vary.

In July, Nagata and his colleagues found that social media was the main factor in the association between excessive screen usage and disruptive behavior problems in children aged 9 to 11. They discovered that teenage screen time has increased during the pandemic in 2021.

“Although screen time can have important benefits such as education and increased socialization, parents should be aware of the potential risks, especially to mental health,” adds Nagata. “Families can develop a media use plan which could include screen-free times including before bedtime.”

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