Peer-reviewed article
Screen Exposure and Academic Achievement: A Systematic Review.
Pinheiro T, Cabral I, Monteiro J, Monteiro V, Caldas A ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic review of 31 studies published between 2020 and 2024 examined how screen exposure affects children's academic development. Excessive recreational screen time was linked to delays in language, weaker executive function, and reduced motor skills. However, interactive, well-structured educational apps showed promise for supporting literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional development. The review emphasizes that content type and parental guidance matter more than screen time alone.
Key points
- Excessive screen exposure associated with delays in language development, poorer executive function and self-regulation, and reduced motor proficiency
- Interactive and well-structured educational applications showed potential to support literacy, numeracy, socio-emotional development, and classroom engagement
- Findings highlight the importance of parental and educational mediation
- Most studies focused on preschool populations rather than older children
- Lack of clear definitions of 'screen exposure' and 'educational tool' limits comparability across studies
Limitations
The review is limited by the predominance of studies in preschool populations and insufficient differentiation between device types and content quality. The lack of clear, consistent definitions of screen exposure and educational tools across studies means findings may not be directly comparable.
Abstract
This systematic review examined recent evidence on how screen exposure influences the development of academic skills and educational achievement. Digital technologies have become central to children's daily lives, reshaping both learning opportunities and leisure activities. Although recreational screen use has frequently been linked to negative outcomes, the effects of educational use remain less well defined. A bibliographic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Mendeley for articles published between 2020 and 2024 that addressed screen use in relation to academic skills. Thirty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Excessive exposure was most often associated with delays in language development, poorer executive function and self-regulation and reduced motor proficiency. In contrast, interactive and well-structured educational applications showed potential to support literacy, numeracy, socio-emotional development, and classroom engagement. Limitations of the available evidence include the predominance of studies in preschool populations, a lack of clear definitions of "screen exposure" and "educational tool," and insufficient differentiation between devices and content types. The findings highlight the importance of parental and educational mediation and underscore the need for further longitudinal studies to clarify the long-term impact of educational screen use across developmental stages.