New Study Finds “No Evidence” Screen Time Impacts Children’s Development

News that's sure to calm the nerves of any parent who's wondered if their kid has spent too much time on the iPad.

Photo by Tyler Lagalo on Unsplash

There is few greater struggles for moderation among today’s parents than screen time. The first guest writer at Crossplay talking about screen time was not a coincidence, because I know how much pressure parents put on themselves about this topic. But take heart, because a new study from the University of Oxford has some good news:

“In a study of nearly 12,000 children in the United States, no evidence was found to show that screen time impacted their brain function or well-being.”

When my children arrive home from school, if they can’t play with their friends, they get an hour of screen time. During this period, they eat a snack, chill out, and it gives me an hour to prepare a dinner for everyone. They’re quiet, content, and importantly, stay out of my way while I’m chopping with a sharp knife. It’s a valuable tool.

It’s other days, ones with less structure, where screen time gets hazy. This is often how a Saturday morning goes, as we’re getting the day going: “How much have you used it today? What if you play with your sister instead? She tried to hit you? OK, well.”

“The results of our study showed there were no clear negative associations that you would expect from the sometimes hyperbolic claims made by some thought leaders on technology,” said Oxford professor of human behavior and technology Andrew Przybylski, co-author of the study and parent of two children, in an email interview. “Parents should absolutely be tuned into what kids are doing online, but not out of fear that it is doing some irreparable harm to their brains.”

The study, which took place over two years and focused on kids between nine and 12 years old, asked children to report their screen time, between zero and four hours daily. The study “did not find that the amount of [screen] time really mattered.”

Screen time didn’t just mean YouTube or Netflix, either, it meant “watching TV shows or movies and using digital platforms such as YouTube to watch videos, as well as interactive pursuits like playing video games” and “apps, calls, video calls and social media.” Frequently, my kid bounces between some and all of these experiences.

“We did not find anything specifically good (or bad) about time that the young people spent on games,” said Przybylski. 

If you’re curious, here’s how the study tried to understand kids’ brains:

“In the ABCD [Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development] study, the participants’ neurodevelopment was assessed through monitoring functional brain connectivity, which refers to how regions of the brain work together and includes emotional and physiological activities. This was done through MRI scans. Further to this, physical and mental health assessments and information from the child’s caregiver was provided. When analysing the screen time use alongside the ABCD data, patterns of functional brain connectivity were related to patterns of screen engagement, but there was no meaningful association between screen time use and measures of cognitive and mental well-being, even when the evidential threshold was set very low.”

It’s only one study, but it’s not hard to see where the anxiety comes from with parents. How would you feel if you read a CNN headline that said “MRIs show screen time linked to lower brain development in preschoolers.” It’s very, very easy to find stories like this. But that 2019 study came with some shocking caveats, with one pediatrician in the CNN article noting it did not account for “stress, parent mental health, play experiences, language exposure.” It’s not hard to imagine a household where a child is using screens for excessive periods of time might also have other issues at home!

But “screen time” has become akin to a moral panic. Thus, inflammatory headlines.

Part of the reason screen time can feel wrong is because it’s so damn effective. When children are young, silence often isn’t an indication of something good, it’s an indication your child is probably up to something—and you should check on them.

The difference between how I grew up with a television—one in the family room that we all shared—versus how kids are growing up these days—their own screen that can go anywhere and do anything—feels different. I grew up with screens. I should be okay with them. The anxiety is real, but studies like this suggest it might be unfounded.  

“I do think that we (as parents) are the target of a moral panic around technology and kids,” said Przybylski. “Fear stories and exaggerated statistics doesn’t help us parent any better and a lot of the advice out there (e.g. banning phones, or platforms) is pretty crummy. Our hope is that research like ours can help people think a bit more critically about what is a complex part of parenting.”

Screen time can be a tool. Screen time can be a form of relaxation. Screen time can be educational. It’s often in the eye of the beholder. Anything can be abused, even screen time, and it’s up to parents and caretakers to notice of any red flags. Recently, when our three-year-old has been having a tantrum, she’ll sometimes scream for the iPad. But she also screams for her grandma. Or her blanket. Or a piece of candy. My wife and I noted the request for an iPad, worried it meant she was viewing it inappropriately as a calming tool, but that’s all we did: note it. It’s normal stuff.

This study joins a growing body of convincing work. Screens aren’t destroying kids’ brains. The next time your child asks for 15 more minutes, maybe take a deep breath.

You can read the entire study here.

Have a story idea? Want to share a tip? Got a funny parenting story? Drop Patrick an email.

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Also:

• Our three-year-old doesn’t have an iPad with screen time restrictions, but we’re close to flipping them on now. Currently, we use the oldest’s timers as a marker.

• My youngest was introduced to a screen a lil’ earlier than usual, mostly because her sister wanted to show her stuff. We let it pass, because it was very cute to see.

• If you see any other interesting studies like this, drop me a note about it.