Screen Use and Child and Adolescent Development and Mental Health Outcomes
Elizabeth Al-Jbouri, Marissa D. Nivison, Ross D. Neville, Abby Marsh, Brae Anne McArthur, Dimitri A. Christakis, Pasco Fearon, Sheri MadiganImportance
Given the ubiquity of screens in children’s lives and public concerns about potential effects on development and mental health, a consolidated, up-to-date synthesis of empirical evidence linking screen exposure with development and mental health outcomes is needed to inform stakeholders and policymakers.
Objective
To synthesize and quantify meta-analytic associations between screen-based media exposure and developmental outcomes among individuals aged 18 years or younger using an umbrella review methodology.
Data Sources
Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases were systematically searched from inception to November 25, 2025.
Study Selection
Meta-analyses of population-based samples of children aged 18 years or younger that were published in English were included.
Data Extraction and Synthesis
Data from 23 meta-analyses were extracted and synthesized. This umbrella review adhered to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (
Main Outcomes and Measures
The primary outcomes were academic functioning, cognitive skills, socioemotional development, and mental health.
Results
Data from 23 meta-analyses, representing 2 817 252 children from 64 countries, were extracted and synthesized. Screen-based media exposure was associated with lower academic achievement ( r = −0.15; 95% CI, −0.23 to −0.07) and language skills ( r = −0.14; 95% CI, −0.18 to −0.10) and with higher internalizing behavior (general screen use: r = 0.10; 95% CI, 0.07-0.13; social media use: r = 0.09; 95% CI, 0.06-0.12) and externalizing behavior ( r = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.08-0.14), emotional problems ( r = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.08-0.50), and peer problems ( r = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.04-0.49). Screen-based media exposure was not associated with executive functioning ( r = 0.01; 95% CI, −0.09 to 0.11), prosociality ( r = −0.22; 95% CI, −0.43 to 0.01), or mathematics ( r = −0.10; 95% CI, −0.23 to 0.03), science ( r = −0.03; 95% CI, −0.15 to 0.11), or reading ( r = −0.02; 95% CI, −0.12 to 0.09) scores. Screen type, subtype of behavior problems, publication year, and age moderated some of these associations.
Conclusions and Relevance
This umbrella review identified associations between screen use and several domains of children’s developmental health outcomes in population-based studies. These findings can inform the development and refinement of evidence-informed guidelines and policies on children’s screen-based media use issued by medical and governmental organizations.