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A JAMA Pediatrics umbrella review covering more than 2.8 million children across 64 countries found that higher screen use was associated with poorer language development, lower overall grades and several emotional and behavioural difficulties. It did not establish that screen use caused these outcomes, and it found no association with some measured areas, including reading, maths and science attainment.
A review of evidence covering more than 2.8 million children in 64 countries found that higher digital screen use was associated with poorer language development, lower overall academic achievement and several emotional and behavioural difficulties. Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the study does not show that screens caused those outcomes, and it found no association for some areas measured.
Researchers led by academics at the University of Calgary conducted an umbrella review, which brings together findings from earlier large-scale reviews rather than collecting new data directly from children. The evidence covered different forms of digital screen use, including smartphones, television, social media, gaming, streaming and video calls.
Higher screen exposure was associated with lower overall school grades and poorer language development. The review also reported associations with emotional and peer problems, internalising behaviour such as symptoms associated with anxiety and depression, and externalising behaviour such as aggression and symptoms associated with ADHD.
The findings were not consistent across every outcome. The researchers reported no association with reading, maths or science attainment, and none with executive functioning or prosocial behaviour. They said reading, maths and science were among the least studied areas, limiting what could be concluded about them.
The Findings Vary by Outcome
The review adds evidence that overall screen exposure is associated with several aspects of children’s development and wellbeing. For parents and educators, the range of outcomes examined may help frame questions about children’s screen habits, but the results do not identify a single cause or show that all screen activities carry the same relationship to development.
The authors said the size of some associations was similar to or larger than those reported for factors such as socioeconomic status, parenting behaviour and preterm birth. That comparison describes the reported effect sizes; it does not establish that screen use has the same role or that changing screen habits would produce a particular outcome. The researchers described screen use as one potentially modifiable factor among others.
Outside experts also urged restraint. Tatiana Íñiguez Berrozpe of the University of Zaragoza said the associations with mental health and academic performance were small, and that screen use alone does not explain adolescent distress or weaker academic performance. Her assessment underscores why the results should not be treated as proof that screens are the main cause of those problems.
A Review of Earlier Reviews
The study’s umbrella review design means its conclusions depend on research already published in the large-scale reviews it assessed. It is not a new experiment assigning children different amounts of screen time, nor does it establish the direction of the relationship. The source report does not provide the review’s publication date, the exact size of each association or details of how screen exposure was measured across the underlying studies.
The review considered screen use broadly, grouping activities such as gaming, social media, television and video calls within its scope. Esther van Sluijs, a professor of behavioural epidemiology at Loughborough University, called the research high quality but said there was not enough evidence to draw robust conclusions about specific activities such as social media use or gaming. The broad measure therefore cannot settle how particular kinds of screen use relate to children’s outcomes.
“Higher so-called doses of screen exposure are associated with lower overall academic achievement and poorer language development, as well as higher internalising and externalising behaviour, emotional problems and peer problems.”
— The study authors
Cause and Screen Types Remain Open
The review reports associations, so it cannot show that screen exposure directly caused lower grades, language difficulties or emotional and behavioural problems. The source material also does not establish whether other factors help explain the relationships or whether children’s difficulties might affect their screen use.
Evidence was not sufficient to draw robust conclusions about particular activities such as gaming or social media. Some academic outcomes were less studied than others, and the report does not give detailed effect sizes or a consistent exposure measure. The results therefore leave open which types of screen use matter, for whom, and under what circumstances.
More Specific Evidence Is Needed
The study authors identify screen use as one potentially modifiable factor associated with children’s wellbeing and call for further research. The evidence described in the source points to a need for studies that distinguish among different types of screen activity and examine outcomes with enough data to support firmer conclusions.
For now, the review does not provide a specific screen-time limit or establish that reducing screen use will improve a child’s academic or mental health outcomes. Those questions remain beyond what this umbrella review can answer.
Key Questions
Did the study prove that screen time harms children?
No. It found associations between higher screen use and some outcomes, but did not establish that screen time caused them.
How many children did the evidence cover?
The umbrella review brought together research covering more than 2.8 million children across 64 countries. It reviewed earlier large-scale reviews rather than collecting new data directly from children.
Which outcomes were associated with higher screen use?
The review reported associations with poorer language development, lower overall grades, emotional and peer problems, and internalising and externalising behaviour. It found no association with some measured outcomes, including reading, maths and science attainment.
No. The evidence was not sufficient to draw robust conclusions about specific types of screen use, including gaming and social media, according to Loughborough University professor Esther van Sluijs.
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