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Higher screen time linked to lower math, reading scores in study of thousands of Ontario students
Each additional hour of daily screen time is linked to about 10% lower odds of higher reading and math scores, according to researchers at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.
- On Friday, JAMA Network Open published a TARGet Kids! study by The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto linking higher early screen time to lower reading and math scores among more than 5,000 Canadian children.
- Researchers tracked parent-reported screen time for more than 3,000 Ontario children and linked the data to EQAO standardized tests in Grades 3 and 6, under the TARGet Kids! collaborative led by The Hospital for Sick Children and St. Michael's Hospital.
- Measured averages show 1.6 hours of screen time at about five and a half years and 1.8 hours at about seven and a half years, with TV and digital media linked to lower reading and math scores.
- Researchers advised, 'While our findings highlight the importance of considering how much screen time children are exposed to, any interventions should also take into account the type of content kids are watching and whether they are watching it alone or with caregivers and friends,' said Xuedi Li, first author and Epidemiologist at SickKids.
- But experts cautioned the findings need cautious interpretation as effect sizes are near zero, and Prof Chris Ferguson highlighted higher-quality studies find no evidence screen time affects school outcomes.
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Are your kids stuck to their devices? More screen time linked to lower test scores, study finds
A new study by a team of researchers from two Toronto hospitals found that children who spent more time on screens before age eight scored lower on standardized tests. The study's lead author says the goal isn't to shame parents for giving kids devices, but to take a group approach to battling the draw of screens.
·Canada
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Higher screen exposure in early years tied to weaker academic achievement
Higher levels of screen time in early childhood are associated with lower scores in reading and mathematics on Ontario's standardized tests, with each additional hour of daily screen time associated with a 10 per cent drop in the likelihood of achieving higher academic levels.
·United States
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Total News Sources11
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Left
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources lean Left
57% Left
L 57%
C 43%
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