In September 2019 researchers from Spain, Paraguay and Chile published their review of the medical scientific literature to assess the association between screen media use and academic performance in children and adolescents. The academic performance areas included performance results plus languge and mathematical skills, whilst the time or frequency spent using a computer, internet, mobile phone, television, video game were assessed for screen media usage. A total of 58 studies, involving 480,479 children and adolescents aged between 4-18 years, were included in the review. Results showed that those children who spent a longer time watching television reached a lower level of achievement in language skills. In addition, adolescents who spent a longer time watching television or playing video games achieved a lower overall academic performance. The researchers concluded that education and public health professionals should perhaps consider supervision of relevant children and adolescents to reduce the time spent on these activities to improve their academic performance.
Adelantado-Renau M et al. Association Between Screen Media Use and Academic Performance Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2019 Sep 23. [Epub ahead of print]