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

Higher levels of screen time in early childhood may negatively affect children’s early academic performance, a new study has found. 

The findings underscore the importance of developing healthy habits from a young age, the researchers said – but they also add to a mixed body of evidence about the role of screens in modern childhood.

In the study, which was published in the journal JAMA Network Open, young children who spent the most time on screens tended to score worse on reading and mathematics tests.

Scientists followed more than 3,000 children from Ontario, Canada, from 2008 to 2023. They linked parent-reported data on screen time to children’s results on standardised tests taken in grades three and six, or around ages 8 and 11. 

Researchers examined the link between total screen time and children’s early academic performance, tracking how different screen-centric activities relate to school outcomes. That includes playing video games, watching TV, and spending time on digital devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets.

Overall, children with higher levels of total screen time, as well as more TV and digital device use, performed worse in reading and maths tests, according to the study.

Notably, scientists found no evidence of a correlation between screen time and reduced writing skills.

Only 20 per cent of parents said their children played video games. Video games were linked to worse scores in grade three reading and mathematics for girls than for boys.

The findings highlight “the importance of developing early interventions for young children and their families that promote healthy screen habits,” Dr Catherine Birken, one of the study’s authors and senior child health scientist at SickKids Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, said in a statement. 

Previous studies on the impact of excessive screen time, video games, and television on children’s school performance have been mixed.

The latest study also has some limitations. Parent-reported data may be biased, and the relationship between screen time and children’s academic performance is associative rather than causal – meaning the study only shows that they are related, not that screen time causes poor outcomes.

Meanwhile, Chris Ferguson, a professor of psychology at Stetson University who was not involved with the study, warned that data that seems meaningful in a research paper doesn’t always translate to real life.

“The real-world implications are much less certain,” Ferguson said in a statement.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum of one hour of screen time per day for children aged two to four, and no screen time at all for babies under one year old.

Yet experts also say not all children’s screen time should be demonised. According to a 2025 report from a European Union working group, children who get moderate levels of screen time and babies who have interactive screen time with their parents can enhance their language skills.