- A new study found young children's screen time adversely affects their academics later.
- The more time young children spend on screens, the lower their scores on school tests.
- Parents should set limits on screen time starting when children are very young.
Parents concerned about the academic achievement of their children have yet another reason to curb excessive screen time. A new study published Friday in JAMA Network Open finds an inverse relationship between screen time when young and academic achievement later.
The more time young children spend on screens, the lower their scores on academic tests, according to research from Ontario, Canada.
The findings are part of the TARGet Kids! Collaborative research network led by Dr. Catherine Birken at The Hospital for Sick Children and Dr. Jonathan Maguire at Unity Health Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital.
The findings are no surprise to Jean Twenge, author of “10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World,” who was not involved in the study.
“We’ve known for a while that excessive screen time was linked to emotional and behavioral issues among kids and teens, and now research is also finding that there are links to attention deficits and learning issues,” she told Deseret News by email.
“When kids are spending more time on screens, they are usually spending less time playing, reading and interacting face-to-face, which can negatively impact their learning and knowledge. Electronic devices can also interfere with sleep, and kids who don’t get enough quality sleep won’t learn as much the next day.”
Screen time has been an issue of concern for Utah policymakers for some time.
“Experts agree that children ages 2-5 should only have one hour of screen time per day and should watch with a parent or sibling. This one hour includes TV, iPads, phones, or any other type of screen,” said Aimee Winder Newton, a senior advisor to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and director of the Utah Office of Families.
“I understand how hard this is for parents. Children are drawn to screens and continuous play functions on apps can keep kids watching for longer than you may realize. Sometimes it may seem easier to hand a child a screen to pacify them. But screens are not a good substitute for real life play. Young children who get too much screen time may not learn important skills or reach developmental milestones as quickly,” she said.
Winder Newton said that face-to-face interactions build language, improve recognition of emotions and help children learn important social skills. “We worry that in this busy world with so many demands on parents, many are allowing their children to use screens excessively. What may seem like an easier way to parent will end up being so much harder on parents in the long run. Children will do so much better if you teach them to self-regulate without screens at an earlier age,” she said.
Study spans years to see outcomes
The researchers tracked more than 3,000 local children from 2008 to 2023, linking parent-reported screen time data collected during those early childhood years to the child’s later achievement on standardized testing conducted in third grade reading and math and sixth grade math. The standardized tests are administered by the Education Quality and Accountability Office.
They found “consistent associations” between screen time and less achievement in reading and math. Writing achievement showed more limited impact.
“Screen time is a part of everyday life for most families, and high levels of exposure, particularly to TV and digital media, may have a measurable impact on children’s academic outcomes,” Birken, senior author, staff pediatrician and senior scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences program, said in a written statement. “This underscores the importance of developing early interventions for young children and their families that promote healthy screen habits.”
Dr. Jennifer Hove, collaborator and director of data and reporting at the education association, said linking the data helped deepen understanding of factors “that shape student outcomes,” providing information that can help parents, educators and families help students succeed.
About the study findings
The study was observational, based on how accurately parents reported screen time, but it is one of the first long-term examinations of the relationship between early childhood screen time and academics.
The researchers looked at the grade three data over an average of 5.5 years, noting about 1.6 hours of daily screen time. The grade six data was collected over an average of 7.5 years and the average screen time was 1.8 hours daily.
Among other findings, TV/digital media time — television, computers and handheld devices like smartphones — was associated with lower reading and math scores for both boys and girls.
But there were some differences.
Video game use was linked to lower grade three achievement in reading and math for girls, compared to boys. But just 20% of parents reported their girls played video games.
What’s next?
The researchers said more study is needed to figure out what the findings mean.
In the future, they said they hope to explore different types of screen time and what kind of content children are exposed to, with the goal of understanding how context and content influence educational achievement. They also hope to go beyond test scores to look at report cards and attendance.
Per the release, “The team emphasised that any interventions should be co-developed with health care providers, educators, policymakers and children and their families to support healthy screen use habits and improve academic outcomes.”
The Office of Families in Utah recommends that to age 18 months, children have zero screen time. From 18 months to two years, no screen time alone should be allowed and only educational material is OK. From 2 to 5, the office says children can be allowed an hour a day, as long as they are co-viewing with a parent or sibling. At 6 and older, screen time should be limited to two hours max.
Winder Newton suggested parents who need ideas on things to do with young children to help them learn visit vroom.org or download the Vroom or “Sparkler: Play for Parenting” apps.