High screen time can hurt children’s learning and language skills, study suggests
Effect of elevated screen exposure could be as significant as parental behaviour and premature birth, report says
TL;DR
- Elevated screen exposure in children can significantly impact academic achievement and emotional well-being.
- The effects of high screen time are comparable to or greater than factors like family wealth, parental behavior, and preterm birth.
- Increased screen use is linked to lower academic achievement and language development issues.
- Higher screen time is associated with more socioemotional and mental health problems, including internalizing and externalizing behaviors, emotional difficulties, and peer problems.
- While screen time shows associations with developmental outcomes, some experts note these associations are small and screens are not the sole cause of adolescent distress.
- The study could not differentiate between various types of screen use due to insufficient data.