SINGAPORE — A new study published online in the World Journal of Pediatrics on April 9, 2026, found an association between higher screen time during infancy and around school-entry age and poorer academic performance and weaker working memory in children. Researchers from Inserm and the National University of Singapore conducted the study.

The study analyzed parent-reported screen time at six different time points. This data was collected from 502 children who were followed from infancy through their middle childhood. The researchers assessed children's academic achievement and working memory several years after the screen time reporting.

The study utilized data from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) birth cohort. Higher screen viewing time during specific developmental periods was associated with poorer later academic performance and weaker working memory. The associations between screen time and cognitive outcomes were most consistent for screen exposure during infancy and around school-entry age.

Children who had higher overall screen exposure across their childhood tended to perform less well academically. The researchers stated, "The effect sizes we saw at age 1 were the largest among all time points we examined." They further noted, "That suggests early infancy may be a window of heightened sensitivity, when the developing brain is particularly vulnerable to the displacement of learning interactions by screen time."

The study authors also observed, "We were also surprised to see that while screen use at age 2 and 3 did not show significant links, the associations re-emerged at age 6—when children enter formal schooling." They concluded, "So it is not just about early years; screen use later in childhood still matters." The authors added that even modest shifts in screen time at a population level could move a meaningful number of children toward lower academic performance, and reinforced the principle that "less is better" concerning children's screen time. Future research should examine factors such as content quality, device type, and parental co-viewing, the authors said.

Current recommendations from the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest no screen time for children before 18 to 24 months. Both organizations also recommend less than one hour of screen time per day for children aged two to five years.