Balancing Screen Time and Study Time: Tips for Parents

One of the curses of modern parenting life is the continuing battle of screen time. Not only how often your children are on their screens but also how extended use has been shown to affect concentration, sleep patterns, and schoolwork.

With children getting smartphones at an increasingly young age (recent studies have shown that by the age of 11, over 90% of children in the UK have their own smartphone) and having access to TVs, tablets, video games, and computers, kids are getting much more screen time than previous generations. A recent report found that teenagers spend an average of 8 hours 39 minutes daily on screens.

With online content, social media and gaming designed to be engaging and somewhat addictive, seeing children on their screens can be a worry.

The good news is that it's also important to remember that a lot of what kids do online is healthy, from chatting to friends on messaging apps to listening to music and watching social media in their downtime. To find the right balance, here's what you need to know.

What are the academic concerns with too much screen time?

Recent research suggests that children exposed to longer than two hours a day of recreational screen time on smartphones and playing video games had worse working memory, processing speed, attention levels, language skills and executive function than those who did not.

Constant exposure to fast-paced digital content may reduce students' ability to focus on schoolwork that requires deep concentration, especially if they frequently switch between tasks or face digital distractions.

Social media and video games are also designed to be fast and stimulating. Constant exposure to this quick, changing content can train the brain to expect rapid feedback, making it harder to concentrate on slower, more focused tasks like reading or problem-solving.

Prolonged screen time can cause mental fatigue, making it difficult to focus, especially on tasks that require deep thinking. Screen use encourages immediate responses, which can reduce the patience needed to concentrate on tasks that require time, effort, and persistence. This can make studying or focusing on complex subjects more difficult.

Signs your child may be being affected by too much screen time:

Decline in academic performance

A drop in grades, test scores, or general performance that you can't link to anything obvious.Late homework. If your child frequently misses homework deadlines or procrastinates more than usual, screen time might distract them.

Difficulty concentrating

Suppose your child has trouble focusing on school tasks, homework, or reading for extended periods. In that case, it may be a sign that screen stimulation reduces their ability to concentrate on less stimulating tasks.Inability to sleep. Excessive screen time, especially before bed, can interfere with sleep patterns. Poor sleep directly impacts concentration, memory, and academic performance.

Irritability and mood swings when you ask them to stop gaming or scrolling

Excessive passive consumption (watching videos or playing games) can reduce engagement in more creative or educational activities, like reading and drawing.

Decreased reading and comprehension skills

A decreased ability to focus and retain what they are reading

What is healthy screen time?

So, what equals healthy? While this differs for every person, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) believes positive and healthy screen use is possible with proper guidance and consistency.

Their tips include limiting time on devices and encouraging screen time that is age-appropriate, interactive, non-violent, and pro-social.

1. Developing a screen-time plan with your family can help. Talking about how you use screens as a family may help encourage healthy usage for everyone.

2. Implement rules such as making homework and revision time gaming, messaging and social media-free zones (as many will still have to use screens to access homework).

3. With kids who can't help reaching for screens, set up a work area in a communal area to help keep them on task.

4. Balance up screen time with other activities. Say they can have X amount of time on screens if they read for X amount of time and do homework first.

5. Set a good example with your own screen habits.

6. Remember, the right plan for one family may not be a good fit for another.

7. Ask your child what they consider healthy screen time, and if their answer differs significantly from yours, find a compromise.