Too much screen time may be hurting children’s grades, study finds

Children who spend more time on screens during their early years may struggle later in school, according to new research from Canada.

The study suggests that every extra hour of daily screen exposure in childhood could reduce a student’s chances of achieving higher grades in reading and math by nearly 10%.

The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, are based on data from over 5,000 children tracked between 2008 and 2023. Researchers analysed the link between children’s early screen habits - covering television, digital media, and video games - and their later performance on standardised reading and math tests conducted by the Education Quality and Accountability Office.

The results show a consistent trend: higher screen time in early childhood is associated with lower academic performance in elementary school. In particular, younger children who spent more time on screens scored lower in both reading and math by grade 3, while older children showed a noticeable decline in math performance by grade 6.

Interestingly, screen time did not appear to significantly affect writing skills.

Researchers behind the study suggest that forming healthy screen habits early could help improve children’s academic outcomes. They recommend developing strategies to manage screen exposure, especially during the early years when learning foundations are being built.

With digital devices now an unavoidable part of daily life, the findings highlight a growing need for balance - ensuring that technology supports learning rather than standing in its way.