Early Screen Time Linked to Lower Reading an Math Scores

Credit: Adobe Stock/Prostock-Studio

New research published in JAMA Network Open has found that higher screen time in early childhood is linked to lower reading and math performance in third and sixth grades.

Academic achievement — generally measured using grades, grade point average and standardized test performance — has been linked to both health and educational outcomes. Screen time has also been connected to education success, with some research showing high levels of screen time can alter a child’s brain structure and negatively impact cognitive function, memory and learning. Additionally, it can impair social development, sleeping habits and reduce physical activity — all of which considered to be academic-promoting activities.

“Most studies on screens and school outcomes focus on older children and youth, despite evidence of high use in younger children,” wrote a team of investigators led by Xuedi Li, MSc, an epidemiologist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences program at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. “Understanding the relationship between early screen time and academic achievement would help identify key targets for preventative strategies and interventions implemented early in the transition to school.”

The large study from Ontario, Canada, followed thousands of children from early childhood through elementary school to understand how screen time affects learning. The team of investigators looked at more than 3,300 children in third grade and over 2,000 in sixth grade. They reviewed how much screen time kids had when they were younger — including TV, digital media (like tablets and streaming), and video games — and compared it with their later performance on standardized reading, writing and math tests.

The results showed a clear pattern: More screen time in early childhood was linked to lower scores in reading and math when kids reached third and sixth grades. For every extra hour a young child spent on screens, their odds of reaching higher academic levels dropped by about 9% to 10% in several subjects. TV and digital media time in particular were strongly tied to lower reading and math performance. Video games had a smaller — but still meaningful — impact, especially for girls, who showed lower reading and math scores when video game use was higher.

Importantly, this study doesn’t prove that screen time causes lower academic achievement, but it does show a strong association. The findings suggest that habits formed in early childhood may matter years later when children are tested in school. That means helping families set healthy screen limits early on could support better academic outcomes down the road.

Like all research, this study has some limitations. Because it was observational, it can show a link between early screen time and later school performance, but it cannot prove that screen time directly causes lower scores. There may also be other factors — such as family environment or learning differences — that weren’t fully captured and could affect the results.

Screen time was also measured using parent-reported surveys, which can sometimes be inaccurate because parents may not remember or may underestimate how much time their child spent on screens. The study also didn’t look at what kids were watching, what types of games they played or whether they used social media, all of which can make a difference in how screen time affects development.

Investigators say early interventions — like structured screen time rules, screen-free routines or guidance from pediatricians — should be tested to help kids build healthier screen habits and potentially improve school performance over time.

“While current screen time guidelines continue to recommend daily limits, they increasingly emphasize the importance of media quality and the context in which screens are used,” investigators wrote. “This underscores the need to examine not only the duration of screen time, but also its content and context, such as the quality of content, school-based screen use and the degree of family involvement.”