Hope collection

How can educators and caregivers make informed decisions about screen use to support children's learning and health?

Practical Advice/Tips for Practitioners

• Prioritise educational content and co-viewing
  Choose screen content that is educational and engage in co-viewing with children to enhance literacy and learning outcomes.

• Use interactive tools for learning
  Incorporate touchscreens and augmented reality tools in educational settings to support engagement and improve academic performance.

• Limit passive and unstructured screen time
  Reduce general screen use and passive viewing (e.g., non-educational TV) to avoid negative impacts on learning and health.

• Be cautious with social media exposure
  Monitor and limit social media use, especially among adolescents, to reduce risks of depression and engagement in risky behaviours.

• Leverage screen-based health interventions
  Utilise digital tools designed to promote healthy behaviours (e.g., active video games, nutrition apps) as part of health education strategies.

Abstract

The influence of electronic screens on children and adolescents’ health and education is not well understood. In this prospectively registered umbrella review (PROSPERO; CRD42017076051), we harmonised effects from 102 meta-analyses (2,451 primary studies; 1,937,501 participants) on screen time and outcomes. 43 effects from 32 meta-analyses met our criteria for statistical certainty. Meta-analyses of associations between screen use and outcomes showed small-to-moderate effects (range: r = -0.14-0.33). In education, results were mixed; for example, screen use was negatively associated with literacy (r = -0.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.20 to -0.09, p = <0.001, k = 38, N = 18,318), but this effect was positive when parents watched with their children (r = 0.15, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.28, p = 0.028, k = 12, N = 6,083). In health, we found evidence for several small negative associations; for example, social media was associated with depression (r = 0.12, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.19, p = <0.001, k = 12, N = 93,740). Limitations include a limited number of studies for each outcome, medium-to-high risk of bias in 95/102 included meta-analyses and high heterogeneity (17/22 in education and 20/21 in health with I2 > 50%). We recommend that caregivers and policymakers carefully weigh the evidence for potential harms and benefits of specific types of screen use.

Full paper access

Sanders, Taren Grant, Noetel, Michael, Parker, Philip David, del Pozo Cruz, Borja, Biddle, Stuart, Ronto, Rimante, Hulteen, Ryan, Parker, Rhiannon B., Thomas, George, De Cocker, Katrien, Salmon, Jo, Hesketh, Kylie, Weeks, Nicole, Arnott, Hugh, Devine, Emma K., Pires Vasconcellos, Roberta, Pagano, Rebecca Stella, Sherson, Jamie, Conigrave, James and Lonsdale, Christopher Sean. (2023). An umbrella review of the benefits and risks associated with youths’ interactions with electronic screens. Nature Human Behaviour. pp. 1-21.

Read also this article in The Conversation

Contact the researcher

Associate Professor Taren Sanders
taren.sanders@acu.edu.au

Learn more about Associate Professor Taren Sanders’s research