The Evaluation of Digital Health: paediatric assessment for exposition to Digital Media

Abstract

Recent studies have shown the possible negative effects of children’s early exposure to digital content with particular reference to screen time. In fact, excessive use of Digital Media (DM) can have important repercussions on development, learning and the quality of family life. In addition, Internet-connected devices represent the key to accessing digital subculture, the content of which can have a negative impact on children’s psychological and physical development. Given the impact of DM and in particular of “digital subculture” on children, pre-adolescents and adolescents, we propose to broaden the concept of health by including not only the biological, psychological and social dimensions but also the digital dimension and thus the relationship with digital devices. In this work, we introduce the concept of “Digital Health” (DH), which refers to the well-being of all individuals, in particular of subjects of developmental age, exposed to digital devices, and we provide paediatricians with a new health procedure, called “Evaluation of Digital Health” (EDH). The EDH, aimed at assessing the digital habits, screen time and digital content viewed by the child, is carried out during periodic check-ups. In fact, we believe that paediatricians have a fundamental role in the protection of all-round health, including DH. The EDH would enable paediatricians, who follow growth from birth to adolescence, to prevent and/or promptly pick up on the signs of any risky digital behaviour displayed by parents and their children. From this perspective, the paediatrician may lead to the manifestation of appropriate digital behaviours, thus representing the first DH promotion service and fostering the development of digital awareness in the family.