Heavy electronic media use in late childhood linked to lower academic performance
Findings could help guide parents, teachers, clinicians in planning kids' screen time

Date:
September 2, 2020
Source:
PLOS
Summary:
A new study of 8- to 11-year olds reveals an association between
heavy television use and poorer reading performance, as well as
between heavy computer use and poorer numeracy--the ability to
work with numbers.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study of 8- to 11-year olds reveals an association between heavy television use and poorer reading performance, as well as between
heavy computer use and poorer numeracy -- the ability to work with
numbers. Lisa Mundy of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in
Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues present these findings in the
open-access journal PLOS ONE on September 2, 2020.


========================================================================== Previous studies of children and adolescents have found links between use
of electronic media -- such as television, computers, and videogames --
and obesity, poor sleep, and other physical health risks. Electronic media
use is also associated with better access to information, tech skills,
and social connection. However, comparatively less is known about links
with academic performance.

To help clarify these links, Mundy and colleagues studied 1,239 8- to
9-year olds in Melbourne, Australia. They used a national achievement
test data to measure the children's academic performance at baseline and
again after two years. They also asked the children's parents to report
on their kids' use of electronic media.

The researchers found that watching two or more hours of television per
day at the age of 8 or 9 was associated with lower reading performance
compared to peers two years later; the difference was equivalent to
losing four months of learning. Using a computer for more than one hour
per day was linked to a similar degree of lost numeracy. The analysis
showed no links between use of videogames and academic performance.

By accounting for baseline academic performance and potentially
influencing factors such as mental health difficulties and body mass index (BMI) and controlling for prior media use, the researchers were able to pinpoint cumulative television and computer use, as well as short-term
use, as associated with poorer academic performance.

These findings could help parents, teachers, and clinicians refine plans
and recommendations for electronic media use in late childhood. Future
research could build on these results by examining continued associations
in later secondary school.

The authors add: "The debate about the effects of modern media on
children's learning has never been more important given the effects of
today's pandemic on children's use of time. This is the first large, longitudinal study of electronic media use and learning in primary school children, and results showed heavier users of television and computers
had significant declines in reading and numeracy two years later compared
with light users."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by PLOS. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Lisa K. Mundy, Louise Canterford, Monsurul Hoq, Timothy Olds,
Margarita
Moreno-Betancur, Susan Sawyer, Silja Kosola, George
C. Patton. Electronic media use and academic performance in late
childhood: A longitudinal study. PLOS ONE, 2020; 15 (9): e0237908
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237908 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200902152150.htm

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