Screen Time Effects on Children's Academic Achievement

Introduction

What do we know about the effects of screen time use of smartphones, tablets, and game consoles among children ages 10 to 15 and their academic achievement? This literature review intends to answer that question.

Screen time may affect children in different ways for a variety of reasons. The content of screen time can vary widely, from educational programs to violent video games to social media platforms (Twenge et al., 2018). Different types of content may have different effects on children's cognitive, emotional, and social development (Brown & Bobkowski, 2011). Children's developmental needs and abilities also change as they grow and mature, which may affect how they respond to screen time (Radesky et al., 2014). For example, young children may benefit from educational programs that reinforce basic skills like letter recognition, while older children may benefit from more complex content that challenges their critical thinking skills (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017).

Moreover, the amount of time children spend on screens can affect their development. Excessive screen time may interfere with other important activities, such as physical activity, social interaction, and sleep, which can have negative consequences for children's health and well-being (Li et al., 2020). The context in which screen time occurs may also influence its effects. For example, watching a movie with parents may provide an opportunity for shared learning and bonding, while using screens to distract children during meals or bedtime may interfere with family routines and social interaction (Pea et al., 2012).

Finally, individual differences in children's personalities, interests, and learning styles may also affect how they respond to screen time. Some children may be more sensitive to screen content or find it more engaging, while others may be more resistant or prefer other types of activities (Duch et al., 2013). For all these reasons, it is important to understand how the effects of screen time can impact children, particularly with respect to academic achievement, as school is the place where children establish foundations for their future.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria and Methods

Screen time use of smartphones, tablets, and game consoles is increasingly prevalent among children aged 10 to 15. As a result, there has been growing concern among parents, educators, and researchers about the potential effects of screen time on children's academic achievement. This literature review aims to provide an overview of the current research on the effects of screen time use on academic achievement among children aged 10 to 15.

Typical criteria and methods for conducting a literature review include inclusion criteria requiring that studies be relevant to the research question, published within a certain time period and in a specific language, and based on empirical research rather than opinion articles or editorials. Exclusion criteria eliminate studies that are irrelevant to the topic, published outside the specified time period or language, or not empirical in nature. Methods include conducting a comprehensive search of relevant databases such as PsycINFO and Google Scholar, screening titles and abstracts based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, reading full texts of potentially relevant articles, extracting relevant data from included articles, and synthesizing findings to draw conclusions.

To be included in this review, studies had to meet the following criteria: (1) published in peer-reviewed journals in the last 10 years (2011–2021); (2) conducted on children, preferably aged 10 to 15, though studies focusing on younger children were also included due to a lack of relevant material on the target age group; (3) investigated the effects of screen time use of smartphones, tablets, game consoles, or any type of screen-based media on attention, cognition, self-regulation, or academic achievement; and (4) included either qualitative or quantitative data obtained in relation to this issue.

Because few studies have actually evaluated the effects of screen time on academic performance, some leeway had to be made to meet the demand for ten studies for this review. Therefore, studies from different countries were included, and studies of children outside the preferred target age group were also included, even if they focused on issues such as self-regulation, since self-regulation does pertain to academic development.

A systematic search of the Google Scholar and PsycINFO databases was conducted using the keywords "screen time," "smartphones," "tablets," "game consoles," "children," "academic achievement," and "cognitive development." The search was limited to studies published in English and conducted on human participants. After screening titles and abstracts, full-text articles were obtained for further assessment. Finally, 10 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria.

Review of the Studies

The study by Radesky et al. (2014) aimed to examine the association between parent-reported self-regulation problems in early childhood and media exposure at age 2, including television and video viewing. They used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort, which included 7,450 children. The study found that children with poor self-regulation at 9 months, as measured by the Infant Toddler Symptom Checklist, consumed an average of 0.23 hours more media per day at age 2 than children with better self-regulation. Children with persistent self-regulation problems were even more likely to consume media, with an adjusted beta of 0.21 hours per day. The study suggests that understanding the relationship between self-regulation and media exposure could help parents reduce their children's screen time. In other words, children exposed to more screen time tended to have greater problems with self-regulation than did children with less screen time. This finding suggests that screen time might negatively impact a child's ability to self-regulate emotions. One possible explanation is the effect of screen time on the body's dopamine regulation, as engaging with media and screens at any age involves a dopamine response inherently similar to the kind of response associated with addictive substances.

The study by Kostyrka-Allchorne et al. (2017) is a systematic review of literature on the association between television viewing and children's executive function, academic performance, attention, language, and play. They reviewed 76 studies and found that the relationship between television viewing and children's development is complex and likely depends on individual characteristics, family and social context, as well as the features of the television content and type of exposure. In other words, media exposure and screen time is just one of many factors that shape how children think and behave. They found that watching high-quality educational content during preschool years improves basic academic skills and predicts subsequent positive academic performance, while television viewing in infancy is disruptive to play and associated with inattentive and hyperactive behaviors, lower executive functions, and language delay, at least in the short term. The researchers acknowledge that it remains unclear whether these interactions between television and cognition are long-lasting. They conclude by suggesting that future research should focus on investigating the pathways linking particular components of television and type of exposure with individual and contextual factors, in order to better understand their potential unique and combined effects on development.

The study by Li et al. (2020) investigated the relationship between mobile phone addiction and sleep quality in Chinese adolescents, and examined the mediating role of rumination and the moderating role of mindfulness. The study found that rumination partially mediated the relationship between mobile phone addiction and poor sleep quality. Additionally, mindfulness moderated the effect of mobile phone addiction on sleep quality and the mediating effect of rumination, with both effects being stronger for individuals with lower mindfulness. This study provides insight into the mechanisms underlying the relationship between mobile phone addiction and poor sleep quality, and highlights the importance of mindfulness as a protective factor.

The study by Brown & Bobkowski (2011) reviews research on the use and effects of older and newer media on adolescents' health and well-being. The study examines patterns of media use among adolescents, discusses predictors and effects of those patterns on adolescents' mental health, and reviews research on the effects of exposure to specific kinds of media content on adolescents' behaviors and health outcomes. It also considers media literacy as a promising strategy for enhancing adolescents' media use in the future. The researchers note that reducing the amount of time children spend watching television can reduce aggression, as demonstrated by a field experiment. Notably, the study mentions that a meta-analysis of more than 200 studies investigating the effect of television violence on aggressive and antisocial behavior found a moderate correlation between the two, as well as between screen time and academic performance. This review suggests that screen time needs to be regulated, as it does impact children and their ability to focus, grow, and develop on a number of fronts, including the academic front.

The study by Aguilar et al. (2015) aimed to investigate the association between physical fitness and academic attainment in schoolchildren and the potential influence of screen time on this relationship. The study included 395 schoolchildren from seven schools in Chile, with an average age of 12.1 years. Results showed that good cardiorespiratory fitness levels were positively associated with higher language and mean academic attainment grades in both genders. However, after adjusting for screen time and other potential confounders, these associations disappeared. Additionally, no relationship was observed for children who spent more than 2 hours per day on screen time. The study suggests that policymakers and parents should minimize the negative effects of screen time on children's lives to maximize the beneficial effect of healthy habits on academic attainment.

The study by Faught et al. (2017) aimed to investigate the independent and combined associations of lifestyle behaviors — diet, physical activity, sleep, and screen time — and body weight status with academic achievement in grade 5 students. The study included 4,253 students and their parents, who were surveyed about the child's lifestyle behaviors, and whose heights and weights were measured. Academic achievement was measured using provincial standardized exams in mathematics, reading, and writing. The study found that meeting dietary recommendations, screen time guidelines, and sleep recommendations was associated with meeting academic expectations for different subjects. Moreover, meeting additional lifestyle behavior recommendations was associated with a higher likelihood of meeting academic expectations. The researchers concluded that body weight status was not associated with academic achievement, but that excessive screen time and insufficient engagement in other healthy habits — such as exercise — did negatively correlate with academic performance for this age group. The study suggests that promoting compliance with established healthy lifestyle recommendations could improve both the health and educational outcomes of school-aged children.

The study by Duch et al. (2013) aimed to systematically review literature published between January 1999 and January 2013 on the correlates of screen time among children between 0 and 36 months of age. The study identified 29 studies that met the inclusion criteria and investigated a total of 33 potential correlates. The study found that the demographic variables most commonly correlated with high screen time among infants and toddlers were the child's age (older) and race/ethnicity (minority). Child BMI, maternal distress and depression, television viewing time of the mother, and cognitive stimulation in the home environment were also associated with screen media use. However, the study did not specifically focus on the relationship between screen time and academic performance in young children. It did note that screen time had been identified by some studies as a factor in poor academic performance among children up to seven years of age. Overall, the study identified avenues for intervention to reduce screen time use in young children, but suggested that further research is necessary to explore a number of environmental, socio-cultural, and behavioral correlates that are under-examined in this population.

The study by Pea et al. (2012) aimed to explore the relationships between media use, including screen time, and social well-being in young girls aged 8–12. The study used an online survey conducted through Discovery Girls magazine and collected data on various forms of media use, including video, video games, music listening, reading and homework, emailing and posting on social media, texting and instant messaging, and talking on phones or video chatting. The study also introduced a comparative measure of media use versus time spent in face-to-face communication. The findings indicated that negative social well-being was positively associated with levels of media use centered around interpersonal interaction — such as phone and online communication — as well as media use that is not, such as video, music, and reading. Video use was found to be particularly strongly associated with negative social well-being indicators, while face-to-face communication was strongly associated with positive social well-being. Media multitasking was also found to be associated with negative social indicators. However, the study found that cell phone ownership and having a television or computer in one's room had little direct association with children's socioemotional well-being. The authors suggest possible causes for these relationships and call for research designs to address causality. Overall, the study highlights the potential negative impact of certain forms of media use — such as video use and media multitasking — on young girls' social well-being, while also noting that not all forms of screen time are associated with negative outcomes.

The study by Lapierre et al. (2015) aimed to determine the amount of background television that children are exposed to in the United States and to identify demographic factors associated with increased exposure. The researchers also investigated how certain home media practices are linked to children's background television exposure. The study involved a nationally representative telephone survey of US parents and caregivers with one child between the ages of 8 months and 8 years. Parents reported on their child's exposure to background television via a 24-hour time diary and on relevant home media behaviors, such as bedroom television ownership, number of televisions in the home, and how often a television was on. The results showed that the average US child was exposed to 232.2 minutes of background television on a typical day. The study also found that younger children and African American children were exposed to more background television. Leaving the television on while no one is viewing and children's bedroom television ownership were associated with increased background television exposure. Overall, the study highlights the negative consequences associated with background television and provides potential pathways for practitioners to reduce children's exposure to it, though it did not explicitly investigate the relationship between background television exposure and academic performance.

The study by Kabali et al. (2015) aimed to investigate young children's exposure to and use of mobile media devices. The cross-sectional study included 350 children aged 6 months to 4 years from an urban, low-income, minority community. The survey was adapted from Common Sense Media's 2013 nationwide survey. The results showed that most households had televisions (97%), tablets (83%), and smartphones (77%). Half of the children at age 4 had their own television, and three-fourths had their own mobile device. Almost all children (96.6%) used mobile devices, and most started using them before age 1. Parents gave children devices when doing household chores (70%), to keep them calm (65%), and at bedtime (29%). At age 2, most children used a device daily and spent comparable screen time on television and mobile devices. Most 3- and 4-year-olds used devices without assistance, and one-third engaged in media multitasking. Content delivery applications such as YouTube and Netflix were popular. The study found that child ownership of a device, age at first use, and daily use were not associated with ethnicity or parental education. The study concludes that young children from an urban, low-income, minority community have nearly universal exposure to mobile devices, and most have their own device by age 4. The patterns of use suggest early adoption, frequent and independent use, and media multitasking. While the study does not directly address the effects of screen time on academic performance, it is clear that children are inundated by screen time, which is likely to impact all aspects of their lives.

The study by Twenge et al. (2018) examines the relationship between screen time and psychological well-being among US adolescents. The study utilized nationally representative surveys of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders from 1991–2016, with a sample size of over 1.1 million participants. The study found that psychological well-being — measured by self-esteem, life satisfaction, and happiness — suddenly decreased after 2012, and that adolescents who spent more time on electronic communication and screens (e.g., social media, the internet, texting, gaming) and less time on non-screen activities (e.g., in-person social interaction, sports and exercise, homework, attending religious services) had lower psychological well-being. The study also found that adolescents spending a small amount of time on electronic communication were the happiest.

Furthermore, psychological well-being was lower in years when adolescents spent more time on screens and higher in years when they spent more time on non-screen activities. The changes in activities generally preceded declines in well-being. The study suggests that the rapid adoption of smartphones and the subsequent shift in adolescents' time use may be at least partially responsible for the decrease in psychological well-being among US adolescents. Cyclical economic indicators such as unemployment were not significantly correlated with well-being, indicating that the Great Recession was not the cause of the decline. Overall, the study provides important insights into the relationship between screen time and psychological well-being among US adolescents, and suggests that reducing screen time and promoting non-screen activities may be important strategies for improving adolescent well-being. While the study does not examine directly the relationship between screen time and academic performance, one may reasonably deduce that if mental health is affected by excessive screen time, academic performance is likely affected as well.

Conclusion: Implications

In conclusion, while the studies reviewed provide mixed findings on the relationship between screen time and academic performance, it is clear that further research is needed to better understand this complex issue. It is also important to consider differences in the populations studied and the specific variables examined when interpreting these findings.

The findings of this literature review have important implications for parents, educators, and policymakers. They suggest that excessive screen time use of smartphones, tablets, and game consoles may be detrimental to children's academic achievement, though more specific and focused research on the target population is needed. Nonetheless, it is evident that too much screen time can impact the mental health and development of children of all ages. Therefore, it is likely important for parents to set limits on screen time and encourage alternative activities that promote cognitive and social-emotional development.

The findings also suggest that further research is needed to understand the complex relationships between screen time use and academic achievement, and to identify the factors that may moderate these relationships. Such research may inform the development of evidence-based guidelines and interventions that can promote healthy screen time use and academic achievement among children aged 10 to 15.