Author: Lola Gueguen
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Table of contents
In an increasingly digital world, you may be considering gifting your child an iPad, an Apple Watch, or even a subscription to Roblox this holiday season. Whatever the gift may be, choosing the type of technology is only one part of the decision. Allowing your child to access an iPad or Smart Phone should come with thoughtful rules, boundaries, and routines that help them use technology in healthy, meaningful ways. Some questions you might consider are: What limits make sense for my child? How can I filter what they have access to? How can I encourage my child to use this device as a learning tool rather than simply a way to stay occupied? In this blog, we’ll review what current research says about children and screen time, and explore what those guidelines can look like in real, everyday home routines.
Screens are Everywhere, and Their Impact is Significant
In today’s world, more and more children are given regular access to screens, with many even owning their own phone or tablet. Research conducted by the Common Sense Census examined media use among children from birth through age eight, recognizing that while there are legitimate concerns about the impact of screen media, there is also potential for learning and connection when it is used appropriately and with clear guidelines. Their most recent findings indicate:
- Children ages eight and younger spend approximately two and a half hours per day on screens, with the majority of screen time devoted to television and video viewing.
- By age four, more than half of children have their own tablet.
- By age eight, nearly 25% of children have their own cellphone.
Caregivers reported that media use most commonly occurs in the car or on public transportation, while less frequent uses include during meals at home or in restaurants, or as a tool to help calm a child when they are upset (Mann et al., 2025). Clearly, screens are a part of daily life today, and their use can have significant effects. Excessive or unstructured screen time has been linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression, lower academic performance, and difficulties with language, attention, and executive functioning. At the same time, it can also support learning and education, foster creative thinking, and serve as a valuable educational tool (Muppalla et al., 2023). Together, these findings show that screen use isn’t inherently good or bad. It all depends on how, when, and why technology is used.
Timing and Context Matters
A study published in June 2025 by the Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale, based on 2021 data, took a close look at how preschool children (ages 3–4) use screens and how that use relates to language, math, and broader learning skills. Here are the key takeaways for parents:
- In 2022, approximately 75% of preschoolers engaged in some form of screen-based activity, while 25% had no screen exposure.
- 45% of preschoolers had access to at least one digital device.
- were given their own tablet, 15% of preschoolers
Similar to findings from the Common Sense Census, watching screens (e.g., TV or videos) was the most common activity, with nearly three-quarters of children using screens primarily for viewing. In contrast, interactive screen use, such as playing games, was far less common, reported for only 29% of children.
Although this data highlights the prevalence of screen usage in young children, one of the most important findings of the study is that timing and context matter. The effects of screen use on learning weren’t the same across the board; rather, it depended on when and how children were using screens.
When children regularly used screens during the school week, it was linked to poorer learning outcomes, even after accounting for family background and other influencing factors.
- Regularly playing on screens was linked to the greatest decreases in learning:
- –22 points in language skills
- –14 points in math skills
- –12 points in broader transversal skills, such as communication, critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence
- Regularly watching screens on school days was also associated with lower scores, though the effects were smaller.
- About –9 points in math
- About –5 points in language
- About –5 points in transversal skills
To put this in perspective, a 22-point difference is considered a large and meaningful gap, not a small or trivial change. It is similar to the difference you might see between a child who is generally keeping up with peers and one who is noticeably struggling in that area. These negative links between screen use on school days and learning outcomes seem to be largely related to a lack of other engaging activities for children, especially when screen time is unstructured and not supervised by an adult.
In contrast, screen use on weekends or during school breaks was linked to higher learning outcomes. Children who regularly played on screens outside school days scored higher: +14 points in transversal skills. +13 points in math, and +10 points in language. Similarly, children who regularly watched screens outside of school days tended to have higher average scores, though the effect was smaller: about 7 points higher in transversal skills and 6 points higher in language and mathematics.
Guided Use Improves Learning
The most positive outcomes were seen when watching screens was supervised by adults and combined with other enriching activities:
- +19 points in transversal skills and math
- +15 points in language
Similarly, when children played on screens outside of school days under parental guidance and combined this with related activities, their learning outcomes also improved:
- +15 points in transversal skills
- +13 points in mathematics
- +11 points in language.
Practical Strategies for Parents
So, what does this mean for parents? Controlled and guided screen use is linked to stronger perceptual, attentional, and cognitive skills, as well as better academic performance in school-aged children. Again, the key is how, when, and why screens are used. Limiting screen time to specific periods, choosing content carefully, and pairing it with other engaging activities, like board games, reading, library visits, or hands-on and cultural projects, can greatly reduce any negative effects on learning (Barhoumi, 2025).
Parental guidance doesn’t always mean strict limits. It can also involve talking with your child about what they’re watching, encouraging conversations about what they see, and connecting it to their play. Offering alternative activities is another powerful way to balance screen time and promote healthy development. Here are some practical strategies to help ensure your child’s screen use is positive and effective (Muppalla et al., 2023):
- Use parental controls, such as password safeguards or content filters
- Model healthy screen habits yourself
- Set clear time limits and rules around screen use
- Keep screens out of bedrooms to encourage better sleep and focus
- Use screens as a reward for physical activity, helping balance digital and active play
- Create fun screen-time challenges, like a “TV Turn-Off Challenge,” where you set goals for turning off the TV and engaging in alternative activities such as reading or outdoor play
By combining guidance, conversation, alternative activities, and creative strategies, parents can help children enjoy screens in ways that support learning, creativity, and healthy child development.
Here are additional resources that dive deeper into how screentime affects both children adults:
