A new study has found that higher levels of screen use among children are associated with poorer academic performance, weaker language development, and increased emotional and behavioural difficulties.
The analysis, which examined data involving more than 2.8 million children, found that heavier screen exposure was linked to lower overall academic achievement, poorer language skills, difficulties with peer relationships, and increased symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The research was led by academics at the University of Calgary in Canada and examined screen-based activities, including gaming, social media and streaming, across 64 countries.
Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the study brought together findings from 23 previous statistical reviews in what is known as an “umbrella review.” The approach was designed to provide a broader assessment of evidence from a large body of existing research.
According to the researchers, children with higher levels of screen exposure were also more likely to display behavioural difficulties, including aggression and symptoms associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“Our review revealed that higher so-called doses of screen exposure are associated with lower overall academic achievement and poorer language development, as well as higher internalising and externalising behaviour, emotional problems and peer problems,” the authors wrote.
The researchers noted that the strength of these associations was “similar in magnitude to or larger” than those reported for other established factors linked to child development, including socioeconomic status, parenting behaviour and premature birth.
However, the study did not establish that screen use causes greater harm than poverty or other socioeconomic disadvantages. Rather, the comparison relates to the strength of associations observed in previous research.
The researchers also acknowledged that the relationship may work in both directions. Children experiencing academic, emotional or behavioural difficulties may spend more time on screens, while family circumstances could influence both children’s screen habits and their overall wellbeing.
The findings therefore highlight an association between heavier screen use and several negative outcomes in children, but do not by themselves prove that screen exposure is the direct cause of those problems.
