Too much screen time may affect children’s early school performance, study finds

Published on 11/10/2025 - 8:00 GMT+2

Higher levels of surface clip successful early puerility whitethorn negatively impact children’s early world performance, a caller study has found. 

The findings underscore nan value of processing patient habits from a young age, nan researchers said – but they besides adhd to a mixed assemblage of grounds astir nan domiciled of screens successful modern childhood.

In nan study, which was published successful nan diary JAMA Network Open, young children who spent nan astir clip connected screens tended to people worse connected reference and mathematics tests.

Scientists followed much than 3,000 children from Ontario, Canada, from 2008 to 2023. They linked parent-reported information connected surface clip to children’s results connected standardised tests taken successful grades 3 and six, aliases astir ages 8 and 11. 

Researchers examined nan nexus betwixt full surface clip and children’s early world performance, search really different screen-centric activities subordinate to schoolhouse outcomes. That includes playing video games, watching TV, and spending clip connected integer devices specified arsenic computers, smartphones, and tablets.

Overall, children pinch higher levels of full surface time, arsenic good arsenic much TV and integer instrumentality use, performed worse successful reference and maths tests, according to nan study.

Notably, scientists recovered nary grounds of a relationship betwixt surface clip and reduced penning skills.

Only 20 per cent of parents said their children played video games. Video games were linked to worse scores successful people 3 reference and mathematics for girls than for boys.

The findings item “the value of processing early interventions for young children and their families that beforehand patient surface habits,” Dr Catherine Birken, 1 of nan study’s authors and elder kid wellness intelligence astatine SickKids Research Institute successful Toronto, Canada, said successful a statement. 

Previous studies on nan effect of excessive surface time, video games, and television connected children’s schoolhouse capacity person been mixed.

The latest study besides has immoderate limitations. Parent-reported information whitethorn beryllium biased, and nan narration betwixt surface clip and children’s world capacity is associative alternatively than causal – meaning nan study only shows that they are related, not that surface clip causes mediocre outcomes.

Meanwhile, Chris Ferguson, a professor of psychology astatine Stetson University who was not progressive pinch nan study, warned that information that seems meaningful successful a investigation insubstantial doesn’t ever construe to existent life.

“The real-world implications are overmuch little certain,” Ferguson said successful a statement.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum of 1 hr of surface clip per time for children aged 2 to four, and nary surface clip astatine each for babies nether 1 twelvemonth old.

Yet experts besides opportunity not each children’s surface clip should beryllium demonised. According to a 2025 report from a European Union moving group, children who get mean levels of surface clip and babies who person interactive surface clip pinch their parents tin heighten their connection skills.