screen time

A major new study reported by the Guardian finds that high screen usage in children is linked to poorer developmental outcomes. Researchers suggest the effect of elevated screen exposure could be as significant as parental behaviour and premature birth. The findings add weight to ongoing concerns among parents, educators and health experts about how much time children spend on phones, tablets and other devices.

A large global study has examined how screen time affects children's wellbeing, according to reporting carried by Yahoo News New Zealand. The findings address an ongoing debate among parents, educators and health researchers over how digital device use shapes children's mental and physical health. Details of the study's size, methodology and conclusions were not included in the available report.

A Supreme Court ruling is unlikely to change how voter eligibility checks are carried out in the upcoming midterm elections, according to a report by The New York Times. The decision may have limited practical impact on voter screening procedures. Discussion is focused on what the ruling does and does not mean for election administration.

Apple has announced new child safety features designed to help parents keep their children safer online. The announcement has drawn widespread attention, with hundreds of thousands of people engaging with the news. Reaction is focused on what the tools mean for families managing screen time, communication and online protections for kids across Apple devices.

A new survey reported in the Netherlands finds that 8 in 10 people aged 16 to 34 say smartphone use harms their everyday life. The figure highlights growing concern among young adults about the impact of their own phone habits on wellbeing, focus and daily routines, adding to wider public debate about screen time and digital balance.

The US Supreme Court has cleared the Trump administration's expansive federal database for use in voter roll screening, per the New York Times. The move is likely to intensify debate over election integrity versus voter access, with critics warning it could lead to improper purges of eligible voters while supporters frame it as a safeguard against noncitizen voting.

UF Health researchers report that cancer diagnoses in the United States drop sharply during holiday periods, while outcomes for patients diagnosed around those dates are worse. The findings suggest holiday disruptions delay screenings and follow-up care, allowing cancers to be caught at later, harder-to-treat stages, and raise questions about how seasonal healthcare patterns affect patient survival.

Singapore's National Library Board is offering micropayments to encourage people to read more books and spend less time on their phones. The programme aims to build reading habits by rewarding users directly, prompting debate online about whether small financial incentives can genuinely change behaviour or trivialise the value of reading.

Apple is reportedly working on a screenless fitness band, a wearable design similar to Whoop's subscription-based health tracker that focuses entirely on sensor data rather than an on-device display. The device would track activity, recovery and health metrics, with insights delivered through the iPhone instead of a screen. Details about timing, pricing or features have not been confirmed by the company.

Researchers have highlighted three previously overlooked RNA molecules as potential new markers for colorectal cancer. The findings suggest these molecules could help detect the disease earlier and guide treatment choices, offering a possible addition to existing screening and diagnostic tools. Colorectal cancer remains one of the most common cancers worldwide, so any lead on earlier detection is drawing scientific and media attention.

A newly published book argues that digital screens are driving growing social disconnection, examining how constant device use reshapes relationships, attention and everyday face-to-face interaction. The work adds to ongoing public debate about the psychological and social costs of screen time, joining a wider wave of recent writing on technology's effects on community and mental health.

Apple's iOS 27 is drawing attention for its overhauled screen time controls, alongside a set of other practical new features. Reports highlight the updated parental and usage-management tools as a key change for families and users looking to limit device time, with the broader feature list suggesting a focus on everyday usefulness rather than flashy additions.

Attention is turning to how young South Korean children are when they first begin using smartphones, with reports highlighting exposure starting in the toddler years. The topic has fuelled wider debate about screen time, child development and parenting habits in one of the world's most connected countries.

Dr Gaurav Batra, Principal Consultant Neurosurgeon at Yashoda Medicity in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, spoke to HT Lifestyle about whether excessive smartphone use could contribute to health problems. He addressed concerns including fragmented attention, disturbed sleep and recurrent headaches, adding medical perspective to the growing public debate over heavy screen time and its effects on daily wellbeing.

A film starring Denzel Washington described as 'masterfully executed' is being broadcast on BBC tonight, according to the Liverpool Echo. The actor, one of Hollywood's most decorated stars and a two-time Oscar winner, is drawing attention as viewers look up details about the screening and which of his films is being shown.

German broadcaster Martina Eßer has presented her last show on WDR, bidding farewell to viewers, as reported by the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. The Cologne-based public broadcaster is a fixture of regional television in North Rhine-Westphalia, so the departure of a familiar host has drawn attention from local audiences reflecting on her time on screen.

Drug Discovery News is examining why regulatory screening tends to occur only after a product's formulation, or 'recipe', has already been completed, rather than earlier in development. The question highlights a common tension in drug and food product development, where safety and compliance checks arrive late in the process, potentially forcing costly reformulations when problems are found.

The Zurich Film Festival 2026 is introducing a section dedicated to artificial intelligence, exploring how the technology intersects with cinema. Alongside screenings, the festival will host a three-part talk series examining AI from multiple perspectives, featuring guests from different fields. It is one of the more prominent festival programmes to put AI at the centre of its edition.

A new date has been announced for a Leipzig screening of the documentary 'Ghost in the Machine' (USA 2026, 110 minutes, FSK 12), directed by Valerie Veatch. The film, shown in English with English subtitles, is described as an investigative documentary exploring the hidden history of artificial intelligence. It screens on 17 October at 18:30, and locals are being informed of the rescheduled showing.

A new expert guide to modern digital parenting has been published, offering advice on how parents can manage children's screen time, online safety and social media use. The guide arrives as families worldwide continue to wrestle with how much device access is healthy for children and how to set effective boundaries at home.

PBS is making its American Masters documentary 'Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stage' available to watch online, but only for a limited time. The film celebrates the Puerto Rican actor's life and career on stage and screen. Viewers are being urged to watch soon, noting that free access to PBS programming is restricted, which the network links to long-running pressure on its public funding, and availability may also depend on geographic location.

New research suggests that the amount of time young children spend looking at screens affects their developmental outcomes on a similar scale to major risk factors such as growing up in poverty or being born prematurely. The findings are prompting debate among parents and child development experts about how much screen use is safe in early childhood and whether clearer official guidance is needed.

A television adaptation of Spider-Man's Clone Saga is reportedly moving toward a series order at Prime Video. The project would bring the famously convoluted 1990s comic storyline — centered on clones of Peter Parker, including Ben Reilly — to live action for the first time. Fans have long considered the saga one of Marvel's most ambitious and divisive arcs, and reactions to a screen version are already mixed.

Parents and teens alike are being warned about 'phubbing' — snubbing people in favour of a phone. A new parenting-focused report says the habit damages relationships at home, with family members checking devices during conversations and meals. The advice circulating is that adults model the behaviour as much as teenagers, so change has to start with parents putting their own phones down.

An update has emerged on the status of a planned sequel to 'The Love Hypothesis', the film adaptation of Ali Hazelwood's bestselling romance novel. The news confirms where the follow-up project stands in its development. Fans of the original book and its screen adaptation are closely watching for further details on casting and release timing.

A writer reflects on time spent wandering through Tokyo, arguing that people put great effort into erasing the medium between themselves and what they see: the frame, the filter, the screen. The cleaner the image, the less we notice we are watching, the reflection suggests, and Tokyo in the rain made that mediation impossible to forget. The note touches on photography, attention and how a view becomes something more than an image when weather and place intrude.