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Cited by 313Child Development and Digital TechnologyImpact of Technology on AdolescentsPhysical Activity and Health

Association Between Screen Media Use and Academic Performance Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Open access
Adelantado-Renau, Mireia, Moliner-Urdiales, Diego, Cavero-Redondo, Iván, Beltran-Valls, Maria Reyes, Martínez-Vizcaíno, Vicente, Álvarez-Bueno, Celia·2019·JAMA Pediatrics
DOI 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.3176PMC PMC6764013
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Abstract

Importance The health consequences of excessive screen media use in children and adolescents are increasingly being recognized; however, the association between screen media use and academic performance remains to be elucidated. Objectives To estimate the association of time spent on screen-based activities with specific academic performance areas in children and adolescents and to examine this association separately in these populations. Data Sources MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and ERIC were searched from database inception through September 2018. Study Selection Cross-sectional studies of the association between time or frequency of screen media use and academic performance in children and adolescents were independently screened by 2 researchers. A total of 5599 studies, published between 1958 and 2018 from 23 countries, were identified. Data Extraction and Synthesis Data were processed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Random-effects models were used to estimate the pooled effect size (ES). Main Outcomes and Measures Academic performance areas included composite scores, language, and mathematics. Screen media measurements included time or frequency of computer, internet, mobile phone, television, video game, and overall screen media use. Results In total, 58 cross-sectional studies (1.0%) of 5599 articles were included in the systematic review, of which 30 (52%) were i…

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.3176

Cites

90 of 92 references verified0 citation errors · 2 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

20 of 63 cited sources checked · 7 supported · 1 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

  • Findingcitation

    Jaruratanasirikul et al and Muñoz-Miralles et al reported an inverse association between video game playing and academic performance.

    “Jar uratanasirikul et al 4 1 and Muñoz-Miralles et al 53 reported an inverse association, whereas Kovess-Masfety et al 47 found that high use was associated with 1.88 times the odds of high overall school competence.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [41] 41. Jaruratanasirikul S, Wongwaitaweewong K, Sangsupawanich P. Electronic game play and school performance of adolescents in southern Thailand. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2009;12(5):509-512. doi:10. 1089/cpb.2009.0035 source
    • cites [53] 53. Muñoz-Miralles R, Ortega-González R, Batalla-Martínez C, López-Morón MR, Manresa JM, Torán-Monserrat P. Access and use of new information and telecommunication technologies among teenagers at high school, health implications. JOITIC Study [in Spanish]. Aten Primaria. 2014;46(2):77-88. doi:10.1016/j.aprim.2013.06.001 source

      The Results state that neither video-game use nor hours played were associated with poor school performance. The Discussion reiterates that time spent on video games was not related to academic performance; the association it reports concerns computer use instead. The supplied passages do not give page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.94)

      Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Premisecitation

    More than 2 hours per day of television viewing has been associated with lower academic performance in children and adolescents.

    “More than 2 hours per day of television viewing has been associated with lower academic performance in children and adolescents.14”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [14] 14. Tremblay MS, LeBlanc AG, Kho ME, et al. Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011;8(98):98. doi:10. 1186/1479-5868-8-98 source

      In Results > Data Synthesis, Table 8 associates more than two hours per day of screen time with lower academic achievement. The Academic achievement subsection also reports an association between higher TV viewing and poorer academic outcomes, but does not establish the specific two-hour threshold for TV viewing alone. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Findingown data

    Sensitivity analyses suggested that the pooled effect size for the association between television viewing and language was slightly modified when data from several studies were removed, with effect size ranging from -0.21 to -0.13.

    “Sensitivity analyses suggested that the pooled effect size estimation for the association between television viewing and language was slightly modified when data from several studies were removed, with effect size ranging from -0.21 to -0.13.25,34,55,57,59,60,67”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 7 sources checked
    • cites [25] 25. Adelantado-Renau M, Diez-Fernandez A, Beltran-Valls MR, Soriano-Maldonado A, Moliner-Urdiales D. The effect of sleep quality on academic performance is mediated by internet use time: DADOS study. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2019;95(4): 410-418. doi:10.1016/j.jped.2018.03.006 source

      The Results and Table 2 report correlations between television time and academic or cognitive performance in this study, not a pooled association with language. Searches for sensitivity analyses, study removal, and the effect-size range −0.21 to −0.13 found no matching passage in our copy. Page numbers were not provided. (LLM, conf=0.77)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites [34] 34. Fetler M. Television viewing and school achievement. J Commun. 1984;34(2):104-118. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.1984.tb02163.x
    • cites [55] 55. Peirce BK. Relation between time spent viewing television and children's writing skills. Journal Q. 1983;(September):445-448. doi:10.1177/ 107769908306

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites [57] 57. Potter WJ. Does television viewing hinder academic achievement among adolescents? Hum Commun Res. 1987;14(1):27-46. doi:10.1111/j.1468- 2958.1987.tb00120.x source
    • cites [59] 59. Ribner A, Fitzpatrick C, Blair C. Family socioeconomic status moderates associations between television viewing and school readiness skills. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2017;38(3):233-239. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000425 source
    • cites [60] 60. Ridley-Johnson R, Cooper H, Chance J. The relation of children's television viewing to school achievement and I.Q. J Educ Res. 1983;76(5):294-297. doi:10.1080/00220671.1983.10885469 source
    • cites [67] 67. Shin N. Exploring pathways from television viewing to academic achievement in school age children. J Genet Psychol. 2004;165(4):367-381. doi:10.3200/GNTP.165.4.367-382 source
  • Interpretationown data

    Our results concur with previous research showing an inverse association of television viewing with composite scores, language, and mathematics.

    “Regarding the association between the duration of individual screen-based activities and academic performance, our results concur with previous research showing an inverse association of television viewing with composite scores, 29,64,66,71 language, 59,67 and mathematics.59,77”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim2 of 7 sources checked
    • cites [29] 29. Cooper H, Valentine JC, Nye B, Lindsay JJ. Relationships between five after-school activities and academic achievement. J Educ Psychol. 1999;91 (2):369-378. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.91.2.369 source
    • cites [64] 64. Sharma B, Cosme Chavez R, Jeong AS, Nam EW. Television viewing and its association with sedentary behaviors, self-rated health and academic performance among secondary school students in Peru. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(4):E383. doi:10.3390/ijerph14040383 source

      The Results (section 3.1; page unavailable) report a negative correlation between television viewing and self-reported academic performance among secondary school students in Peru. But the Methods (section 2.2.2; page unavailable) show that performance was measured with a single self-rating question, not a composite score. The language and mathematics findings have separate citations in the citing sentence and are not attributed to this paper. (LLM, conf=0.86)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites [66] 66. Shejwal BR, Purayidathil J. Television viewing of higher secondary students: does it affect their academic achievement and mathematical reasoning? Psychol Dev Soc J. 2006;18(2):201-213. doi:10.1177/097133360601800203 source
    • cites [71] 71. Vassiloudis I, Yiannakouris N, Panagiotakos DB, Apostolopoulos K, Costarelli V. Academic performance in relation to adherence to the Mediterranean diet and energy balance behaviors in Greek primary schoolchildren. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2014;46(3):164-170. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2013.11.001 source
    • cites [59] 59. Ribner A, Fitzpatrick C, Blair C. Family socioeconomic status moderates associations between television viewing and school readiness skills. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2017;38(3):233-239. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000425 source
    • cites [67] 67. Shin N. Exploring pathways from television viewing to academic achievement in school age children. J Genet Psychol. 2004;165(4):367-381. doi:10.3200/GNTP.165.4.367-382 source
    • cites [77] 77. Yang S-J, Stewart R, Lee J-Y, et al. Prevalence and correlates of problematic internet experiences and computer-using time: a two-year longitudinal study in Korean school children. Psychiatry Investig. 2014;11(1):24-31. doi:10.4306/pi.2014.11.1.24 source

      The Results section on computer use reports an association between game-related computer-using time and lower academic achievement. The Discussion likewise addresses computer overuse, not television viewing; the passages found do not assess television viewing against composite, language, or mathematics scores (pages unavailable in our copy). (LLM, conf=0.76)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Findingcitation

    Overall, mobile phone use was not associated with academic performance indicators.

    “Overall, mobile phone use was not associated with academic performance indicators.40,44”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim1 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [40] 40. Jackson LA, Von Eye A, Fitzgerald HE, Witt EA, Zhao Y. Internet use, videogame playing and cell phone use as predictors of children's body mass index (BMI), body weight, academic performance, and social and overall self-esteem. Comput Human Behav. 2011;27(1):599-604. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2010. 10.019 source
    • cites [44] 44. Kiatrungrit K, Hongsanguansri S. Cross-sectional study of use of electronic media by secondary school students in Bangkok, Thailand. Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2014;26(4): 216-226. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1002-0829.2014.04.005 source
  • May combine two claims. 21
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 18

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Previous systematic reviews in children and adolescents have focused on the association of television viewing and video game playing with academic performance, showing a negative association.

    “Previous systematic reviews in children and adolescents have focused on the association of television viewing and video game playing with academic performance, showing a negative association. 14,15”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim1 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [14] 14. Tremblay MS, LeBlanc AG, Kho ME, et al. Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011;8(98):98. doi:10. 1186/1479-5868-8-98 source
    • cites [15] 15. Ferguson CJ. Do angry birds make for angry children? a meta-analysis of video game influences on children's and adolescents' aggression, mental health, prosocial behavior, and academic performance. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015;10(5):646- 666. doi:10.1177/1745691615592234 source

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    Regarding computer use, only 2 studies analyzed this screen-based activity and showed divergent results: no association and positive association.

    “Regarding computer use, only 2 studies analyzed this screen-based activity and showed divergent results: no association 44 and positive association.56”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [44] 44. Kiatrungrit K, Hongsanguansri S. Cross-sectional study of use of electronic media by secondary school students in Bangkok, Thailand. Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2014;26(4): 216-226. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1002-0829.2014.04.005 source
    • cites [56] 56. Peiró-Velert C, Valencia-Peris A, González LM, García-Massó X, Serra-Añó P, Devís-Devís J. Screen media usage, sleep time and academic performance in adolescents: clustering a self-organizing maps analysis. PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e99478. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0099478 source

      The Discussion reports a positive association between computer use and academic performance in other studies, but the Results report an inverse association between computer use and academic performance in this paper’s adolescents. The cited paper therefore discusses a positive association, but does not establish it as its own finding; the citing sentence also leaves the outcome of the association unspecified. (LLM, conf=0.78)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingcitation

    Wang et al showed an inverse association between time spent on overall screen media and academic performance.

    “Wang et al 74 showed an inverse association, whereas Faught et al 32 reported a positive association of screen media with academic performance when adolescents spent from 2 to 4 hours on screen-based activities, but a negative association was found when they spent 7 or more hours per day.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [74] 74. Wang H, Zhong J, Hu R, Fiona B, Yu M, Du H. Prevalence of high screen time and associated factors among students: a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang, China. BMJ Open. 2018;8(6):e021493. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021493 source

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    Sánchez-Martínez and Otero Puime showed that high internet surfing frequency and no internet use were both associated with academic failure.

    “Sánchez-Martínez and Otero Puime 61 showed that high internet surfing frequency and no internet use were both associated with academic failure.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [61] 61. Sánchez-Martínez M, Otero Puime A. Internet and associated factors in adolescents in the Community of Madrid [in Spanish]. Aten Primaria. 2010;42(2):79-85. doi:10.1016/j.aprim.2009.05.004 source

      The 'Variables asociadas' section reports an association between academic failure and very high internet use in the bivariate analysis, and between academic failure and no internet use in the adjusted analysis. The discussion explicitly says this study found no association between academic failure and the high-use group, so the claim conflates high with very high use and omits the difference between analyses. (LLM, conf=0.90)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    Faught et al reported a positive association of screen media with academic performance when adolescents spent 2 to 4 hours on screen-based activities, but a negative association when they spent 7 or more hours per day.

    “Wang et al 74 showed an inverse association, whereas Faught et al 32 reported a positive association of screen media with academic performance when adolescents spent from 2 to 4 hours on screen-based activities, but a negative association was found when they spent 7 or more hours per day.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [32] 32. Faught EL, Gleddie D, Storey KE, Davison CM, Veugelers PJ. Healthy lifestyle behaviours are positively and independently associated with academic achievement: an analysis of self-reported data from a nationally representative sample of Canadian early adolescents. PLoS One. 2017;12(7): e0181938. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181938 source

      The Results report higher odds of Excellent grades for adolescents with 2–4 hours of daily screen time, and lower odds for those with 7 or more hours, each compared with under 2 hours. But the negative association at 7 or more hours was unadjusted; the Results say it disappeared after adjustment for other health behaviours and confounders. The claim omits that distinction. (LLM, conf=0.88)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    One study found that adolescents who spent more than 7 hours per day on overall screen media were 40% less likely to achieve high academic performance, whereas those who spent 2 to 4 hours per day had 1.23 times the odds of achieving excellent grades compared with those who spent fewer than 2 hours per day.

    “One study found that adolescents who spent more than 7 hours per day on overall screen media were 40% less likely to achieve high academic performance, whereas those who spent 2 to 4 hours per day had 1.23 times the odds of achieving excellent grades compared with those who spent fewer than 2 hours per day.32”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [32] 32. Faught EL, Gleddie D, Storey KE, Davison CM, Veugelers PJ. Healthy lifestyle behaviours are positively and independently associated with academic achievement: an analysis of self-reported data from a nationally representative sample of Canadian early adolescents. PLoS One. 2017;12(7): e0181938. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181938 source

      The Results report both figures: 7+ hours of daily screen time was associated with 40% lower odds of Excellent grades in the unadjusted model, while 2–4 hours was associated with 1.23 times the odds in the adjusted model, each compared with under 2 hours. The claim omits this distinction; the Results also say the negative association for high screen time disappeared after adjustment. (LLM, conf=0.86)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    Most studies showed an inverse association between internet overuse and academic performance, although they did not consider the device used or the purpose of internet use.

    “Most studies showed an inverse association between internet overuse and academic performance, although they did not consider the device used (ie, computer, smartphone, or tablet) or the purpose of internet use.25,26,31,61”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim2 of 4 sources checked
    • cites [25] 25. Adelantado-Renau M, Diez-Fernandez A, Beltran-Valls MR, Soriano-Maldonado A, Moliner-Urdiales D. The effect of sleep quality on academic performance is mediated by internet use time: DADOS study. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2019;95(4): 410-418. doi:10.1016/j.jped.2018.03.006 source

      The Discussion (page not provided) says many studies found an inverse association between Internet use time and academic performance, and the Results report the same association in this study. The source does not establish that those studies failed to consider device or purpose; its Introduction (page not provided) specifically describes a study that distinguished Internet use for study from other purposes. (LLM, conf=0.86)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites [26] 26. Busch V, Laninga-Wijnen L, Schrijvers AJP, De Leeuw JRJ. Associations of health behaviors, school performance and psychosocial problems in adolescents in The Netherlands. Health Promot Int. 2017;32(2):280-291. doi:10.1093/heapro/dav058 source
    • cites [31] 31. Esteban-Cornejo I, Martinez-Gomez D, Sallis JF, et al; UP & DOWN Study Group. Objectively measured and self-reported leisure-time sedentary behavior and academic performance in youth: the UP&DOWN Study. Prev Med. 2015;77:106-111. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.05.013 source
    • cites [61] 61. Sánchez-Martínez M, Otero Puime A. Internet and associated factors in adolescents in the Community of Madrid [in Spanish]. Aten Primaria. 2010;42(2):79-85. doi:10.1016/j.aprim.2009.05.004 source

      The Results section reports an association between very high internet use and school failure in the bivariate analysis. But the paper’s discussion says that high use was not associated with school failure after adjustment; instead, non-use was associated with school failure. Table 2 also records purposes of internet use, though the reported school-failure analysis does not distinguish use by purpose or device. This single study cannot establish what most studies found. (LLM, conf=0.84)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    Studies met from 27.3% to 81.8% of the quality criteria, with 36 studies (62%) meeting more than 50% of the quality criteria.

    “Studies met from 27.3% to 81.8% of the quality criteria, with 36 studies (62%) meeting more than 50% of the quality criteria as assessed by the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies 20”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [20] 20. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies. https://www.nhlbi.nih. gov/health-topics/study-quality-assessment-tools. Accessed May 10, 2018.

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    Kim et al found a negative association between internet surfing for entertainment purposes and academic performance, but a positive association when the internet was used for educational activities.

    “Kim et al 45 found a negative association between internet surfing for entertainment purposes and academic performance, but a positive association was found when the internet was used for educational activities.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [45] 45. Kim SY, Kim MS, Park B, Kim JH, Choi HG. The associations between internet use time and school performance among Korean adolescents differ according to the purpose of internet use. PLoS One. 2017;12(4):e0174878. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0174878 source

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    Studies of the association between internet surfing and academic performance reported an inverse association with composite scores and mathematics and divergent results regarding language.

    “Studies of the association between internet surfing and academic performance reported an inverse association with composite scores and mathematics and divergent results regarding language.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    In subgroup analyses, the duration of television viewing was inversely associated with language performance only in children, not in adolescents.

    “Subgroup analyses conducted separately in children and adolescents indicated an inverse association between the duration of television viewing and language only in children”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    The duration of mobile phone use has been poorly investigated, suggesting a lack of association with academic performance.

    “whereas the duration of mobile phone use has been poorly investigated, suggesting a lack of association with academic performance.39,40,44”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [39] 39. Jackson LA, Zhao Y, Kolenic A III, Fitzgerald HE, Harold R, Von Eye A. Race, gender, and information technology use: the new digital divide. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2008;11(4):437-442. doi:10. 1089/cpb.2007.0157 source
    • cites [40] 40. Jackson LA, Von Eye A, Fitzgerald HE, Witt EA, Zhao Y. Internet use, videogame playing and cell phone use as predictors of children's body mass index (BMI), body weight, academic performance, and social and overall self-esteem. Comput Human Behav. 2011;27(1):599-604. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2010. 10.019 source
    • cites [44] 44. Kiatrungrit K, Hongsanguansri S. Cross-sectional study of use of electronic media by secondary school students in Bangkok, Thailand. Shanghai Arch Psychiatry. 2014;26(4): 216-226. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1002-0829.2014.04.005 source

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The association between screen media use and academic performance depends on the age of children and adolescents and the type of device they used.

    “Although the data show that the association between screen media use and academic performance seems to depend on the age of children and adolescents and the type of device they used”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    Discrepancies in methodological quality evaluation were settled by consensus.

    “Discrepancies were settled by consensus.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    Information about authors, affiliations, date, and source of each article was concealed, and 2 reviewers independently evaluated methodological quality.

    “After concealing information about authors, affiliations, date, and source of each article included in the review, 2 of us (M.A-R., C.A-B.) independently evaluated their methodological quality.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Studies into the association between screen media use and academic performance have shown controversial results, reporting negative, positive, and null associations.

    “However, studies into the association between screen media use and academic performance have shown controversial results, reporting not only negative [6][7][8][9] but also positive 10,11 and null associations.12,13”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 5 sources checked
    • cites [6][7][8][9]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites [10] 10. Özmert E, Toyran M, Yurdakök K. Behavioral correlates of television viewing in primary school children evaluated by the Child Behavior Checklist. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2002;156(9):910-914. doi:10.1001/archpedi.156.9.910 source
    • cites [11] 11. Skoric MM, Teo LLC, Neo RL. Children and video games: addiction, engagement, and scholastic achievement. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2009;12(5):567- 572. doi:10.1089/cpb.2009.0079 source
    • cites [12] 12. Drummond A, Sauer JD. Video-games do not negatively impact adolescent academic performance in science, mathematics or reading. PLoS One. 2014;9(4):e87943. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0087943 source
    • cites [13] 13. Regondola EN, Barbado LN. Media habits and academic performance of elementary pupils of the Camarines Norte State College Laboratory School. IJIR. 2017;3(11):216-224. http://www.imperialjournals. com/index.php/IJIR/article/view/5906.

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018090388).

    “The study protocol was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO reference number CRD42018090388).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    The systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA and the Cochrane handbook.

    “This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 18 and the Cochrane handbook.19”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [18] 18. Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG; PRISMA Group. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Int J Surg. 2010;8(5):336-341. doi:10.1016/j.ijsu.2010.02.007 source
    • cites [19] 19. Higgins JPT, Green S, eds. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell; 2008. doi:10.1002/ 9780470712184

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductown data

    Data extraction was checked for accuracy by a second reviewer.

    “the selected studies, and another (C.A-B.)checked the data for accuracy.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductcitation

    The Egger regression asymmetry test was conducted to assess publication bias, with P < .10 considered statistically significant.

    “The Egger regression asymmetry test was conducted to assess publication bias, considering P < .10 to be statistically significant.24”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [24] 24. Sterne JA, Egger M, Smith GD. Systematic reviews in health care: investigating and dealing with publication and other biases in meta-analysis. BMJ. 2001;323(7304):101-105. doi:10.1136/bmj.323. 7304.101 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    Sensitivity analyses were performed to estimate the association of each study with the pooled effect size.

    “Sensitivity analyses were performed to estimate the association of each study with the pooled effect size.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    The Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies was used to evaluate risk of bias.

    “The Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies was used to evaluate the risk of bias.20”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [20] 20. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies. https://www.nhlbi.nih. gov/health-topics/study-quality-assessment-tools. Accessed May 10, 2018.

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Home environment and parental characteristics (e.g., socioeconomic status and parental support) may be stronger factors in academic performance compared with the amount of screen media use per se.

    “previous studies have suggested that the home environment and parental characteristics (eg, socioeconomic status and parental support) may be stronger factors in academic performance compared with the amount of screen media use per se.28”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [28] 28. Clarke AT, Kurtz-Costes B. Television viewing, educational quality of the home environment, and school readiness. J Educ Res. 1997;90(5):279-285. doi:10.1080/00220671.1997.10544584 source

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    The systematic review and meta-analysis included a wide range of screen-based activities and different academic performance areas.

    “including the inclusion of a wide range of screen-based activities and different academic performance areas.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductnone given

    The purpose, content, and context of screen media use; socioeconomic status; and/or parental support were not taken into account in the analyses.

    “Fourth, the purpose, content, and context of screen media use; socioeconomic status; and/or parental support were not taken into account in the analyses.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    Subgroup analyses were conducted to examine the implication of age for the studied associations.

    “subgroup analyses were conducted to examine the implication of age for the studied associations.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    Subgroup analyses could not be conducted for some of the screen-based activities and/or academic performance areas.

    “Third, subgroup analyses could not be conducted for some of the screen-based activities and/or academic performance areas.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationreasoning

    The findings have public health implications for the prevention of academic failure in children and adolescents.

    “These findings have public health implications for the prevention of academic failure in children and adolescents”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Among adolescents, facilitated and simultaneous access to different screen-based activities for different purposes (e.g., social communication, online networking, playing games) could explain the greater negative association of these activities with academic performance.

    “Among adolescents, the facilitated and simultaneous access to different screen-based activities for different purposes (eg, social communication, online networking, and playing games), which is a signature of contemporary society, could explain the greater negative association of these activities with academic performance.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Facilitated and simultaneous access to different screen-based activities for different purposes is a signature of contemporary society.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Each screen-based activity has a specific association with academic performance, so each should be analyzed individually.

    “The findings from this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that each screen-based activity should be analyzed individually because of its specific association with academic performance.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    The associations between screen media use and academic performance are complex and may be moderated and/or mediated by potential factors, such as purpose, content, and context of screen media use.

    “These associations seem to be complex and may be moderated and/or mediated by potential factors, such as purpose, content, and context of screen media use.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Parents with high educational level and knowledge of pediatric media guidelines, as well as parents who support and have high expectations for their children's future, might discourage activities with low educational value, such as television viewing or video game playing.

    “parents with high educational level and knowledge of pediatric media guidelines as well as parents who support and have high expectations for their children's future might discourage activities with low educational value, 6 such as television viewing or video game playing.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [6] 6. Kostyrka-Allchorne K, Cooper NR, Simpson A. The relationship between television exposure and children's cognition and behaviour: a systematic review. Dev Rev. 2017;44:19-58. doi:10.1016/j.dr. 2016.12.002 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductnone given

    The questionnaires to assess screen media use, the variety of tools to measure academic performance, and the inclusion of articles published only in English or Spanish could have altered the results.

    “Second, the questionnaires to assess screen media use and the variety of tools to measure academic performance, as well as the inclusion of articles published only in English or Spanish, could have altered the results.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Each sedentary screen-based activity (e.g., talking to someone, looking at magazines, playing) might have a different implication for academic performance.

    “each sedentary screen-based activity (eg, talking to someone, looking at magazines, or playing) might have a different implication for academic performance.82,83”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [82] 82. Jackson LA, Samona R, Moomaw J, et al. What children do on the internet: domains visited and their relationship to socio-demographic characteristics and academic performance. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2007;10(2):182-190. doi:10. 1089/cpb.2006.9970 source
    • cites [83] 83. Wright JC, Huston AC, Murphy KC, et al. The relations of early television viewing to school readiness and vocabulary of children from low-income families: the early window project. Child Dev. 2001;72(5):1347-1366. doi:10.1111/1467- 8624.t01-1-00352 source
34 of 34

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    No previous systematic review and meta-analysis has examined the association of several screen-based activities with different academic performance areas in children and adolescents.

    “However, to our knowledge, no previous systematic review and meta-analysis has examined the association of several screen-based activities with different academic performance areas in these age populations.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    A restricted budget likely does not allow children and adolescents to buy books or to participate in out-of-school educational activities.

    “A restricted budget likely does not allow children and adolescents to buy books or to participate in out-of-school educational activities.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Facilitated and simultaneous access to different screen-based activities for different purposes is a signature of contemporary society.

    “the facilitated and simultaneous access to different screen-based activities for different purposes (eg, social communication, online networking, and playing games), which is a signature of contemporary society”
3 of 3

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • A meta-analysis linked greater digital media quantity, including TV and gaming, in children aged 4-18 to poorer academic performance, language, and mathematics.

    “For example, one meta-analysis found that the quantity of digital media use (television and gaming) in children ages 4 to 18 years is associated with poorer academic performance scores, language, and mathematics.88”

    From Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents: Technical Report (2026) · cites this paper as [88]

    The Search Strategy and Inclusion Criteria section includes children and adolescents aged 4–18. The Meta-analysis and Discussion sections report inverse associations for television viewing with composite scores, language, and mathematics, but for gaming only with composite scores; the Discussion also reports no association for overall screen-media time. The claim overgeneralizes the findings across media types and outcomes. Page numbers were not provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • There was a negative association between social media use and academic performance.

    “which is again consistent with previous findings that there was a negative association between social media use and academic performance [24,84].”

    From Personal Profiles, Family Environment, Patterns of Smartphone Use, Nomophobia, and Smartphone Addiction across Low, Average, and High Perceived Academic Performance Levels among High School Students in the Philippines (2021) · cites this paper as [84]

    The Systematic Review reports a negative association between entertainment-related internet surfing and academic performance, and the Discussion reports an inverse association for internet overuse. Neither passage establishes the association specifically for social media use. (LLM, conf=0.78)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • A study of screen-based activities (social media use) found it to be negatively associated with academic performance.

    “As for adolescents and children, a study of screen-based activities (i.e., social media use) also found it to be negatively associated with academic performance [84].”

    From Personal Profiles, Family Environment, Patterns of Smartphone Use, Nomophobia, and Smartphone Addiction across Low, Average, and High Perceived Academic Performance Levels among High School Students in the Philippines (2021) · cites this paper as [84]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) reports negative associations between academic performance and particular screen-based activities, notably television viewing and video game playing. But the Statistical Analysis section does not list social media use as an activity studied, and the Discussion reports no association for overall screen media time. The citation therefore does not support the claim specifically about social media use. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Prolonged TV viewing, video game playing, and mobile device use are associated with lower academic scores.

    “Prolonged TV viewing,88 video game playing,88 and mobile device use140 are associated with lower academic scores.”

    From Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents: Technical Report (2026) · cites this paper as [88]

  • Higher levels of adolescent screen use are associated with low academic achievement.

    “as well as low academic achievement [6]”

    From Using Wearable Cameras to Categorize the Type and Context of Screen-Based Behaviors Among Adolescents: Observational Study (2022) · cites this paper as [6]

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

  • Effect estimate does not match the center of its confidence interval

    Minor

    The midpoint of the reported confidence limits is −0.06, rather than the stated estimate of 0.06. This suggests a sign or interval transcription error.

    Reported 0.06 · recomputed -0.06

  • Confounder percentage is rounded incorrectly

    Minor

    The review includes 58 studies, so 23 studies represent about 39.7%, which rounds to 40%, not 39%.

    Reported 39 · recomputed 39.655172

2 of 2

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

3 of the 95 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Regondola, 2017, Media habits and academic performance of elementary pupils of the Camarines Norte State College Laboratory School., IJIR, 3, 216
  2. 2010, Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Adelantado-Renau, M., Moliner-Urdiales, D., Cavero-Redondo, I., Beltran-Valls, M. R., Martínez-Vizcaíno, V., & Álvarez-Bueno, C.
Affiliations
  • LIFE Research Group, University Jaume I, Castellon, Spain
  • Universidad Politécnica y Artística del Paraguay, Asunción, Paraguay
  • Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Health and Social Research Center, Cuenca, Spain
Venue
JAMA Pediatrics
Publisher
American Medical Association (AMA)
Published
2019-11-01
Volume
173
Issue
11
Pages
1058
ISSN
  • 1072-4710 (ISSN-L)
  • 2168-6203
DOI
10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.3176
PMC
PMC6764013
OpenAlex
W2974811886
Cited by
313
References
95
Citations by year
2026: 59 · 2025: 52 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 53 · 2022: 46 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 3
FWCI
68.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Repositori UJI (Universitat Jaume I) (publishedVersion)
  • LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
Keywords
screen media use, academic performance, children, adolescents, television viewing, video gaming, mobile phone use, internet use, computer use, language skills, mathematics achievement, screen time, educational technology, screen time guidelines, parental supervision

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-11.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-11.

Cited sources are checked by gpt-6-sol.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

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