A major longitudinal study out of Imperial College London has put a specific number on the social media risk for kids: three hours per day.

Researchers tracked more than 2,300 children from Year 7 (ages 11–12) through Year 9 and 10 (ages 13–15) as part of the SCAMP study. The finding: children who used social media for more than three hours daily at age 11–12 were significantly more likely to develop symptoms of depression and anxiety by early high school. The effect was stronger in girls than boys.

The study adds to a growing pile of longitudinal evidence that early, heavy social media use isn't just a distraction, it's a measurable risk factor for mental health outcomes. And those outcomes show up years later, making the window for intervention earlier than most parents realize.

Gryphon lets parents see exactly how much time each child is spending online for each device. When a child crosses into heavy usage territory, you'll know. And with Gryphon's per-child scheduling and content filtering, parents can set soft limits that hold without turning into a nightly argument.

Read the Imperial College London research →

Explore Gryphon's per-child screen time controls → gryphonconnect.com