High Screen Time Linked to Academic and Mental Health Problems in Children

By Staff, Agencies

A global study involving more than 2.8 million children across 64 countries found that higher screen exposure is associated with poorer academic achievement, language development and emotional well-being.

Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the large-scale umbrella review examined previous studies covering smartphones, televisions, gaming, social media, streaming and video calls.

Researchers found that greater screen use was linked to lower overall academic achievement and language development, as well as increased emotional, peer, internalizing and externalizing problems, including symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, aggression and ADHD.

The researchers, led by academics at the University of Calgary in Canada, said the effects were “similar in magnitude to or larger” than those associated with established factors such as socioeconomic status, parenting behavior and premature birth.

However, experts urged caution in interpreting the findings. Tatiana Iniguez Berrozpe of the University of Zaragoza said the association between screen use and poorer mental health and academic performance was small and did not support claims that screens are the main cause of adolescent distress.

Similarly, Esther van Sluijs of Loughborough University described the study as high-quality but noted that it could not reliably distinguish between different forms of screen use, such as gaming and social media, due to insufficient data.

The researchers concluded that screen use may be one modifiable factor associated with children's well-being, while acknowledging that its effects vary across developmental outcomes.