Study Tracks 502 Children, Links Screen Time at 1 and 6 to Poorer School Outcomes
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 24
Study Tracks 502 Children, Links Screen Time at 1 and 6 to Poorer School Outcomes
3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 24
Summary
A longitudinal study of 502 children found heavier screen viewing at age 1 and again at age 6 was tied to lower academic performance at age 9 and weaker working memory at age 10.5.
Age 1 showed the strongest association, while ages 2 and 3 were not significantly linked; the pattern reappeared at school entry, suggesting sensitive windows in infancy and the start of formal education.
Researchers used six parent-reported screen-time measurements from ages 1 to 8 in Singapore's GUSTO birth cohort, and children with higher cumulative exposure also tended to perform worse academically.
The findings add timing to existing concerns over total screen use, aligning with WHO and American Academy of Pediatrics guidance to avoid screens before 18-24 months and limit ages 2 to 5 to under 1 hour daily.