Effects of Screen Time on Academic Performance and Mental Health

Question: What are common effects of excessive screen time on students’ academic performance and mental health?

Answer: It’s hard to determine the direct effects of screen time on students’ academic performance and mental health for a few reasons: 

• The definition of “screen time” is highly debated and hard for researchers to measure. This is, in part, because there are many ways that screens can be used, such as watching TV, scrolling on social media, or playing an educational game on your phone (If you are interested in strategies for measuring and managing your screen time, check out our portal response: Screen Time for Teenagers). 
• A lot of different factors impact academic performance, including your level of physical activity and the quality of your sleep. Screen time is a small piece of a very large puzzle (For more on the importance of sleep and other health behaviors for your mental health, see this portal response). 

The relationship between social media use and teen mental health is also complex.  

Here are a few resources that go into more detail about social media’s impact on teens: 

• The Good and Bad of Social Media: What Research Tells Us 
• Social Media Regulations and Mental Health 
• Is social media addictive, destructive, or harmful to mental health? (And tips for managing social media use) 
• What impact has social media had on youth? Both positive and negative. What can we do to reduce negative impacts? 

Focusing on screen time and academic performance, it is possible that screen time may negatively impact your grades in two different ways: 

• The Displacement Effect: Media use and screen time can replace the time you’d be spending on homework, getting active, or doing any other activity that may be beneficial to your health.

Some research suggests that teens successfully use media while maintaining involvement in other extracurricular activities, hanging with friends or working a job. This may be because teens are using their screens to engage with family and friends, thus fulfilling social needs in a unique way. However, other research suggests that time spent on any screen media, but especially viewing television, is associated with lower test scores, language, and math grades. These associations differ with age and content. For example, children age 2-3 have been shown to benefit from watching educational programs because they learn from repetition, and negative impact on academic performance between television viewing and video game playing was greater for adolescents than children.  
 
At the same time, other studies have found no associations between time spent on academic pursuits and time spent on screens, perhaps because these two activities serve different functions for teens. Activities that serve similar functions for teens might displace each other instead. For example, time spent on social media might displace time spent watching TV rather than taking away from academic activities. However, one study found that use of different forms of media (e.g., watching TV, playing video games) were positively associated, meaning that those who used screens for one activity (e.g., watching TV) were more likely to report using screens for other activities as well (e.g., playing video games).  
 
Thus, this relationship is complex. Research has shown small associations or no associations between overall screen media use and time spent on academic pursuits or academic performance. In addition, this relationship is likely dependent on many variables, such as the characteristics of the child (e.g., age, gender, or academic aspirations) as well as the content of media (e.g., educational or entertainment) or how it is used (e.g., for connecting with family or friends). 

• Multitasking: By making your studies share space with your screens, you’re less likely to focus on learning the things that you need to.  

Multitasking is when an individual splits their attention on more than one activity at the same time. Media multitasking, then, would be doing two or more of the following at once: streaming, gaming, responding to email, browsing the internet, checking social media, etc. A common concern that we hear is whether multitasking with media while doing schoolwork will result in decreased focus on school-based tasks or “wasted” time.  
 
Some studies suggest that multitasking with media while engaged in schoolwork is associated with increased distraction and lower grades. This could be because technology is distracting students from their schoolwork. Students tend to focus well for short bursts, and often turn to their device while studying for emotional gratification that’s not received from studying alone. However, the time that it takes a student to re-focus attention on their schoolwork after a distraction due to multitasking may be important to consider. For example, sending an email or conducting a brief Internet search may not involve a large attention shift away from studying and may fit between students’ focus periods. However, entertainment activities such as streaming and gaming often require longer spans of attention away from studying.  

So, it seems like screen time’s effect on academic performance depends mostly on what you’re using your device for, and whether your screen time may be crowding out your schoolwork. 

Tips for balancing screen time with academics:  

• Familiarize yourself with The 5 Cs of Media Use: Pay special attention to “crowding out” and “content” when it comes to academic performance. Is your screen time getting in the way of your homework? Alternatively, are you using your screen as an academic tool? 
• To focus your time during homework, school or at bedtime, consider setting “do-not-disturb” or “focus mode” so you are in control of when devices grab your attention  
• While studying, allow for breaks. Consider focusing on schoolwork for what feels like a productive and manageable time- is that 10, 20, or 30 minutes? Set a timer and only then reward yourself with a “brain break.”  This break could involve technology, but ideally it would also involve physical movement or stretching (maybe a dance to TikToks or other videos that you like). Quick, structured breaks during long periods of learning might be beneficial because they could boost focus by allowing your brain to rest and reset. These breaks can serve as rewards for hard work while studying, and refresh for the next focused learning period. 
• Develop a schedule that includes time for your offline hobbies and special interests.  
• Plan a regular sleep routine that helps you relax and enjoy restful sleep. 
• Consider talking to your family about establishing a Family Media Plan that can provide ideas for rules, guidelines and shared media experiences across your family. Keep your grades in mind as you develop the plan. How could having access to your phone before you sleep affect your focus at school the next day? 

References 

• Adelantado-Renau, M., Moliner-Urdiales, D., Cavero-Redondo, I., Beltran-Valls, M. R., Martínez-Vizcaíno, V., & Álvarez-Bueno, C. (2019). Association Between Screen Media Use and Academic Performance Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(11), 1058-1067.   
• Hietajärvi, L., Maksniemi, E., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2022). Digital engagement and academic functioning: A developmental-contextual approach. European Psychologist, 27(2), 102–115.   
• Lovreković, T., Maljur, T., & Matasić, K. (2022). Too much screen time? – Perception and actual smartphone usage, gender differences and academic success. Život i škola, LXVIII(1–2), 53–72.    
• Moreno, M. A., Jelenchick, L., Koff, R., Eikoff, J., Diermyer, C., & Christakis, D. A. (2012). Internet use and multitasking among older adolescents: An experience sampling approach. 28(4), 1097-1102.   
• Rosen, L. D., Mark Carrier, L., & Cheever, N. A. (2013a). Facebook and texting made me do it: Media-induced task-switching while studying. 29(3), 948-958.  
• Tak, S., & Catsambis, S. (2023). “Video games for boys and chatting for girls?”: Gender, screen time activities and academic achievement in high school. 28(11), 15415-15443.   
• Wilhite, K., Booker, B., Huang, B. H., Antczak, D., Corbett, L., Parker, P., Noetel, M., Rissel, C., Lonsdale, C., Del Pozo Cruz, B., & Sanders, T. (2023). Combinations of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Sleep Duration and Their Associations With Physical, Psychological, and Educational Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. American journal of epidemiology, 192(4), 665–679.   

Age: 13-22 

Topic: Mental health, screen time, academic performance 

Role: Teen