A new study attributes impulsive behaviors to too much screen time.

As we head into the second decade of the Millennium, technology is bound to be everywhere you look (at least if you live amongst civilization). Whether it’s in our cars or at home, signs of the digital era are extremely hard to miss – and in some ways it’s having an adverse impact on our youth.

Kids between the ages of 8 and 18 are averaging about 7.5 hours in front of screens on a daily basis. This isn’t even including their screen time at school or using tablets/computers for their homework.

Researchers believe that staying connected all the time can lead to some impulsive outbursts. Kids that had trouble putting down their phones and exercising were more likely to demonstrate impulsive behaviors.

The CDC says kids should be getting between 9-11 hours of sleep each night. They also recommend dramatically reducing childrens’ screen time to roughly two hours a day. Setting an intention of completing an hour of physical activity every day should also be a goal parents set for their kids.

Impulsive behavior in children has ultimately been linked to longterm emotional and health problems and in some cases self-harm. For these reasons, it’s important to make sure these behaviors are taken care of early on.