Children’s screen time linked to struggles in reading and maths

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-10-11 02:00

International

PHOTO: Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

Young children who spend a lot of time on screens are less likely to do well in tests at primary school, according to an international study of more than 5000 kids. Canadian researchers found that with each extra hour of screen time per day, as reported by parents, the children had about a 10% lower chance of high marks in standardised tests for maths and reading. The researchers said it is important to find ways to limit screen time for children to help them do better at school. However, they also highlighted that it's important to consider the quality of screen time – such as whether it is educational and watched with family – as a factor in future studies.

Media release

From: JAMA

Screen Time and Standardized Academic Achievement Tests in Elementary School

In this prospective cohort study of Canadian children recruited from primary care settings, high levels of total screen time and TV and digital media in young children were associated with lower achievement levels in reading and math on standardized tests in elementary school. Early interventions to reduce screen time exposure should be developed and tested to enhance academic achievement in elementary school.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada

Funder: This work was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children at The Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto. The funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication

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