“THE IMPACT OF SCREEN TIME ON THE ACADEMIC PRODUCTIVITY OF

GRADE 6 LEARNERS IN SELECTED PRIVATE SCHOOLS”

1. Effects of Screen Time on Academic Performance

Screen time consequences to the academic performance of a student have close correlation with
other aspects of the student, such as physical activity and sleep. According to NESET (2025), the
single concept of screen intake might not continually be damaging in a young person, yet; it is
dispensable once it interferes with these critical regions. Several studies have found that the more
children spend on screens the less they sleep and perform less physical activities consequently
getting tired and losing focus and thinking capabilities at school. This importance of this fact is
based on not only looking at academic success through the lens of time of studying, but healthy
life style that helps learning and memories work. NESET underlines that the connection of
screen time and educational outcomes is not as simple as the matter is multidimensional and
should be dealt with comprehensively.

Existing research has revealed the intricate connection between time on the screen and academic
achievement of students and the necessity to make a distinction between non-recreational and
recreational uses of digital media. Non recreational screen time has been found to contain
potential academic advantages, when used constructively, including online classes, educational
videos, and academic research. As Anderson and Subrahmanyam (2021) observe, screen usage
can supplement learning and cognitive growth, as collaborative and highly organized content can
both improve engagement and help develop the necessary skills. Nevertheless, habitual screen
use in context of any reason can disrupt the formation of healthy behaviours, including
consuming enough sleep and maintaining the recommended level of physical exercise, which are
not the least important aspects of effective learning and academic performance (Patel et al.,
2022). In addition, one should moderate screen exposure, as too heavy exposure, even in
education, may lead to mental exhaustion and decreased attention span, which, in the end, will
affect school performance (Lee & Kim, 2020). In contrast, screen-related recreation, like video
gaming, social media surfing, and streaming, is more likely to demonstrate a consistently
negative relationship with academic results. Ramirez and Gonzales (2023) explain that these
activities can interfere with concentration, loss of time to finish schoolwork and lack of quality
sleep. NESET (2025) also emphasizes that the use of screen is not necessarily detrimental but
problematic when it replaces the necessary health-related and learning practices. Therefore, it is
important to comprehend the scope and content of time that students spend on the screen when
examining its relationship with performance in studies and when directing the creation of
balanced and student-centered digital media usage.

One of the pros of screen time is that it becomes valuable when it is used with caution and is
paired with healthy behaviors. As an illustration, classroom lessons can be reinforced through the
use of educational applications, web-based and video-based learning. Nonetheless, the negative
side is the possibility of digital content to crack addiction of the students especially the social
media and video games as these media compete with their time and interest. Long-term use can
lead to sleep deprivation, a decrease in physical activity, and attendance of mental health
problems, which all lead to poor academic performance. To improve their health and curb online
addiction, NESET (2025) advises incorporation of balanced activities involving less use of the
digital screen, occasional physical engagements and adequate sleep. Individuals and institutions
should be collaborating on formulating their own media plans and considering the advantages as
well as the dangers of digital media consumption in the lives of students.

2. Lower Academic Performance in Math and Reading Comprehension

The link that exists between the amount of screen time and performance in academic activities
has become more complicated due to the rising frequencies of digital technology in school
systems. In as much as educational tools and applications may help in enhancing learning,
excessive exposure to screens, particularly beyond instructional purposes, may lead to the loss of
focus, memory and overall school performance of students. Survey results highlight the fact that
there is an overrepresentation of the impact of screens on perception and cognitively demanding
concepts like mathematics and reading comprehension. According to a study done by Ramirez
and Gonzales (2023), students who have high recreational screen time had a considerably low
score in activities that took long-lasting attention skill and problem-solving abilities. On the same
note, Lee and Kim (2020) established that students who spend much time on social media and
games have an increased probability of developing decreased academic interest and falling
comprehension levels in courses that require reading. This trend points out that not every
academic subject is affected by screen time in the same way since activities involving worse
cognitive demands like physical education or arts do not demonstrate the same deterioration in
the further operations (Anderson & Subrahmanyam, 2021). Further, in a recent national report
Cruz et al. (2024) add that this inequality of screen impression increases in intensity among
learners in middle grades where high literacy and numeracy requirements should be met. Thus, it
is necessary to reconsider not only the quantity of time that students spend in front of the screen
but also its aim and the time schedule in consideration of studying activities..

Overstimulation on the screen is also a cognitive expense, which can carry a severe toll on still-
developing learners with core academic skills. In as much as technology can help in developing
understanding with the use of math tutors or reading applications, the rapid distribution of
digitally advanced information may reduce mental tolerance levels to certain students (Patel et
al., 2022). This repeated use of brief digital entertainment longer term can stimulate reward
mechanisms in the cerebral cortex, a situation also making a student unable to concentrate longer
on long reading or intricate mathematical solulving (NESET, 2025). This is why not all students
are able to prolong their academic work despite the skills in using digital devices. To deal with
that, teachers and parents should collaborate on a healthy digital environment with a pivot on
educational value rather than recreational use. A combination of offline study habits and effective
application of online technologies will allow to obtain maximum learning benefits based on
minimum screen fatigue associated with negative outcomes. Teaching these practices at an age of
Grade 6, when the basics of the reading and mathematical literacy are being established, is
important to the extended academic growth.

3. Recreational Screen Time (include the citation)

It has been highlighted in recent studies that not only the nature but also the duration of the
screen exposure, academic screen exposure, recreational screen exposure has significant role in
influencing the cognitive and academic development of the students. Walsh et al. (2020) reported
that they observed a persistent relationship between heavy screen use and diminishing academic
achievement, especially in areas of studies that need long-term focus and problem-solving
capabilities e.g. reading comprehension and mathematics. In turn, Shin and Li (2022) likewise
evaluated the trends in cognitive development and reported that in case children are exposed to
screens too long, their attention can be weakened and their memory slowed down, particularly
when the material is entertainment-related. Although the transition to online schooling promoted
heightened interactions with online learning systems in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xie
et al. (2020) have noted that the transition was also marked by a rocketing upsurge in recreational
screen-related behaviors that were inclined to occupy most time on various tasks that are
considered to be learning-related. Such academic/non academic imbalanced use of screens might
be causing differentiated results of academic achievements among learners depending again on
their level of focus, motivation, and mental discipline.

Moreover, the modern literature has also focused on the negative impact of multitasking among
students with digital entertainment and academic studies. According to Trinh and Manolova
(2023), when students spent much time alternating between school assignments and digital
games or social media, they could not recall any information and perform critical thinking
effectively. Bozzola et al. (2020) also confirmed these results, stating that excess recreational
screen time habit is commonly associated with poor academic performance because of sleep
cycle disruption, reduced physical activity, and mental exhaustion. This kind of evidence reveals
the reason why screen time should be distinguished in terms of its educational value and the
necessity of a healthy balance. Although digital tools can support effective learning under
controlled consumption, an uncontrolled application of screens also in recreational cause may
result in underperformance and, therefore, disciplined screen use and educational practices
should be introduced better at homes and schools.

4. Screen Time Before Bedtime

There was evidence which identified that screen time especially before bedtime was associated
with a weaker learning ability in elementary school students in a Japanese cross-sectional study.
Probably among some of the mechanisms are sleep deprivation and less time studying. Although
nighttime screen use in non-recreation (such as doing homework) can also affect the
performance, the study focused more on the time of screen use than on its content (Takakura et
al., 2021). Use of screens during the night leads to failing the normal sleep cycle making the
students unable to concentrate and receive information in the subsequent day. This Japanese
study insists that it is not only the number of screens but also the timing of using screen that has
severely detrimental effects on cognitive functions and academic readiness. The positive aspect
of this understanding is that it provides a concrete measure to increase academic performance,
which is screen restriction at bedtime. Nevertheless, the drawback is that the use of mobile
devices is quite common in contemporary practices and the given prohibitions will hardly work
unless supported regularly by the parents (Takakura et al., 2021). This should be put into effect
with clear sleep-screen hygienic training.

The observation that sleep after spending screen time is determinant in relationship to reduced
academic performance in school going-children is substantiated by several latest studies. Hale et
al. (2020) have noted that screen time an hour before bed is capable of not only delaying sleep
onset and shortening sleep time, but also of direct impairment of memory consolidation and
attention the next day. In turn, Carter et al. (2021) illustrated how the low sleep quality which can
be induced by spending time near screens at night leads to sleepiness, moodiness, and decreased
cognitive performance during lessons. LeBourgeois et al. (2021) also claimed that the blue light
projected by screens interferes with the production of melatonin, which is needed to support
desirable circadian rhythm, and in this way undermines the level of learning efficiency.
Tavakkoli and Heshmati (2023) study also demonstrated that the use of the screen in the late
night, whether it is educational or recreational, leads to sleep deprivation, which hinders
academic learning, especially in subjects that require a profound mastering of essential
knowledge, such as mathematics. In the meantime, Munezawa et al. (2024) stressed that screen
hygiene education, including establishment of tech-free zones, bedtime curfews, etc., is a
preventive measure that was shown to assist learners regain the lost academic concentration. In
combination, these results indicate that when it comes to school readiness and performance, it is
essential to regulate not only the content and purpose of screen exposure but also the time of its
exposure.

5. Gaming and Streaming

A study conducted recently has highlighted that although online classes may result in higher
screen time used academically, screen time during recreational time takes over at a go home
time. Students are more seduced to do things such as gaming and streaming even in situations
whereby they can have access to educational tools. Such a balance is especially prevalent in
Grade 6 learners, who, in usual circumstances, lack intrinsic motivation to select education
screen content without a request (Barlett, Gentile, & Anderson, 2020). A recent study reveals
that, although students are expected to use a screen during online classes, they rapidly change to
entertainment screen time as soon as they are home. Such activities as gaming and video
streaming become more attractive, despite the fact that learning tools are still at hands.

The growing incidence of gaming an” video streaming in the learning population has been
demonstrated to disrupt not only individual learning habits but mind formation. Based on the
results of the study by Przybylski and Weinstein (2020), there is a high probability that excessive
screen time investment in gaming is closely associated with low academic performance being
that gaming is already a more important priority when it comes to activities that are done at the
expense of homework or reading tasks. Moreover, Young et al. (2021) believe that video
streaming sites reinforce a passive usage style and low attention span in end-users and willingly
admit that learners are not likely to remain focused throughout a lesson or finish the long-term
project. A research by Cheng and Maeda (2022), also showed that students who engaged in
screen-based recital activities over three hours per day experienced a significant drop in their
grades particularly in reading comprehension and mathematics. Besides, Liu et al. (2023) stated
that the active and engaging mechanism of digital games prepares students to demand immediate
satisfaction, which decreases their persistence and effort in the educational activities. Kim and
Lee (2024) prerogative that it is necessary to establish a balanced number of screen uses
recreationally and educational usage by using screen-schedule and digital literacy interventions
in children. Grading 6 schooling children is especially vulnerable to excessive gaming and
streaming that accumulates over time to negatively affect academic grades and learning habits
that did not develop independent ones yet.

This trend is particularly observed among Grade 6 students who usually do not have a self-
motivation to self-select the educational content. They do not have organized guidance or tasks
(which means that they would rather devote screen time to entertainment).

6. Student Engagement
Recent data hints that e-learning settings consider student engagement levels, including task
accomplishment and quiz participation, as powerful pointers of Grade 6 students academic
success and confirms that good quality of academic products are reflections of overall groups
achievement (Moubayed et al., 2020). Student engagement is critical to the knowledge of any
academic performance of Grade 6 learners and in the digitally mediated learning environments.
It consists of emotional, behavioral and cognitive engagement which altogether affect academic
performance. Moubayed et al. (2020) state that the engagement and the completion of quizzes,
assignments, and active communication within online communities are good input to the
academic performance of the students. To extend it, Martin and Bolliger (2022) suggest that
learners with constant behavioral engagement records (by logging in frequently, turning in
assignments with no delays, and engaging in discussions) achieve better results than the less
active ones. Moreover, Lim and Tan (2021) emphasize that emotional engagement such as
student enthusiasm and attention towards studies can act as a counteragent of screen distractions
which eventually primes the environment of academic resiliency. Rahman et al. (2023) also
mention the direct relationship between cognitive engagement, including the exertion of effort,
persistence, and metacognitive efforts, and increased performance during online learning. Kwon
and Cho (2024), however, warn that shallow interactions, including those where a user primarily
logs in but does not actually want to participate mentally, do not help to collect reliable data
about the academic progress and may falsify teaching directions. Therefore, a comprehensive
indicator of engagement, as opposed to simple attendance, can be used to accurately chart a
student on his/her learning path, as well as allow the instructor to directly intervene to promote
not only performance but also participation.

More so, student engagement is complied of: emotional, behavioral, and cognitive involvement
in learning which is of particular relevance in digital learning settings. And when they read the
blogs of the Grade 6 students who voluntarily participate in activities, discuss it at forums, take
online quizzes etc. it is their inner motivation and readiness. The obvious benefit would be that it
gives teachers the opportunity to note learning patterns and modify learning content
appropriately. However, a problem occurs where students log in and step by step do not show a
presence in their mind, and this presents a distorted data. Thus, when engagement is measured
along with performance analysis, one gets a complete picture of the learning results (Moubayed
et al., 2020), which can be used to foster desirable

7. Higher Screen time

Backlinko (2025) reports note that children aged 8 to 12 spend an average of 5 hours per day on
screens and much of it is recreational, be it video games or social media to video streaming. The
formation period after the pandemic has also been noted by the study, although here the increase
in education screen usage (online studies, research, learning applications) remained small. Still,
the total amount of screen time is worse than ever, and most of the use is still shifted in direction
of non-academic material. Such an increasing trend creates the questions about the way the time
is being split among children and the academic impact of the lack of entertainment quality
screens on the long-term perspective.

The modern research findings have disclosed that the amount of time and the quality of screen
time expended by kids, especially late elementary-school goers, is an urgent issue. Backlinko
(2025) observes that children aged eight to twelve years have fallen into an average of five hours
of screens per day with most of the screen-time resulting towards recreational activities which
include video streaming, game playing, and use of social media. Even though there are now
some increases to screen usage in educational use witnessing surges in online learning since the
pandemic, the prevailing proportion of screen-use is not-academic. The trend is in line with the
results provided by Domoff et al. (2021), who established excessive leisure-oriented screen time,
in the absence of a strategic moderation strategy, is associated with a decrease in academic
engagement and performance. Likewise, a longitudinal survey of Twenge and Campbell (2022)
highlighted the cognitive and emotional costs of constant digital exposure, such as the loss of the
ability to read and substantial pressure on the amount of time dedicated to the homework.
Additionally, the study by Przybylski and Weinstein (2023) suggest the focus on the balanced
digital environment and structure of a screen time by ensuring it supports the relevant academic
activities but does not substitute them. In line with these findings, Kaur and Saini (2024)
emphasize that although learning opportunities have been revolutionized by digital tools, due to
the lack of a monitoring system, recreational content often replaces important learning behaviors.
All these studies indicate the importance of the necessity to engage educators, parents, and
policy-makers in the process of creating the guidelines on the use of the screen to help improve
learning and decrease cognitive overload and distractions.

The benefit of the new digital age is the access to educational tools and interactive learning
experience. Nevertheless, free recreational utilization may create a destructive distraction,
decrease educational study time and inhibit academic concentration. What is important about the
Backlinko (2025) study is the call to action: parents, educators, and policy makers develop
systematic plans of screen usage so that children strike the right balance between entertainment
and educational interactions. When not moderated, the drawback of screen time manifests as a
possible substitute in place of other healthier behavior such as offline time, sleep, and studying.

8. Digital Devise Consumed mostly in Non- Academic Activity

Current observational data reveal that most of the screen time of children is not spent on
academics but on some non-academic activities. These findings were reaffirmed in the Wartella
et al. (2021) study in which researchers concluded that a 10- to 12-year-old child spends more
than six hours daily in front of the screen, yet only 0.51.5 hours of that period is dedicated to
educational content. Moreover, Rideout and Robb (2022) mentioned that recreational use of
smartphones and tables, including games, streaming video, and social media, has nevertheless
turned out to be the most recognized pastime of pre-adolescents, even despite the wide
availability of educational resources and devices. As Livingstone et al. (2023) have emphasized,
children are moving towards digital accentuation, but this does not always imply better academic
performance in case the implementation of a screen is unorganized and uncontrolled. A negative
correlation with regard to unregulated recreational screen time and attention span, and
subsequently interfering with classroom work was strongly stated by Hosokawa and Katsura
(2024). Finally, Kaur and Saini (2025) pointed out that unless the educational process is
organised using guided integration with the use of digital devices, there is a high likelihood that
minimal effort is likely to lead to the increase in distractions, reduced study time, and low level
of academic focus. All these facts make it clear that parents and educators should take effective
control measures and establish specific screen time limits, make use of parental control systems,
and encourage the user engagement of exciting educational materials so that the digital
experience could only facilitate, but never hamper, the intellectual and emotional development of
any student.

To deal with the majority of non-academic screen time among pre-adolescents, it is necessary to
make evidence-based critical approaches that engage teachers and parents. According to
researchers Park and Lee (2020), the use of structured screen-use schedules, including carrying
out of devices during curfew and having certain no-technology times increased to a great extent
the recreation screen use and their grades in homework achievement. As was noted by Alhassan
and Afrah (2021), interactive learning platforms that were clearly incorporated into classroom
practices kept the learners engaged and redirected the focus on entertainment-only endeavors.
Such effects on children can be positively changed through parental modeling, as a randomized
controlled study conducted by Zheng et al. (2022) showed; that is, adults not consume as much
screen time and doing educational tech activities with their children. According to Wong and
Chan (2023), considering screen-time literacy education in schools, students will be able to
evaluate and select the digital activities with critical reasoning and in support of their academic
interests. Lastly, Silva et al. (2025) also announced that the educational apps that have
gamification features and the option to track progress generated a larger demand to use
academically and increased children motivation not to use leisure screen activities. All these
understandings lead to a conclusion that an integration of targeted scheduling, role modeling, and
properly-designed educational resources will be effective in shifting screen usage to productive
learning activity among Grade 6 students.

9. Negative Impact on Developmental Aspects

There are various aspects of development that are impacted negatively by screen time among
children especially, cognitive, language, and social-emotional development, which build the
basis of an individual academic success. The long screen time leads to a decrease in high-quality
interactions with the caregivers, executive functions, and exposure to sleep disorders and mental
health conditions, which in turn worsen the academic abilities.

It is not that excessive screen time will only interfere with school performance, but it also
interferes with some important sections of childhood development; cognitive, social and
emotional. The Academy of Pediatrics (2023) argued that excessive use of digital devices lowers
the quality of interactions that children and their caregivers have and which are crucial to the
development of good communication skills and emotional understanding. This reverberates the
academic sphere, as there is a tendency for children with underdeveloped executive functioning
and poor emotional control to perform poorly in the classrooms. The importance of these
development effects is long-standing as the fact that lack of social-emotional, as well as
cognitive skills may be developed in adulthood and mess up the potential of a student to do well
both in academic and personal life.

Further exposure of children to prolonged screen time is being increasingly associated with
negative impacts on key areas of development especially cognitive, language development and
socio-emotional development. The American Academy of Pediatrics (2023) states that the level
of digital media consumption decreases the interaction quality and frequency between children
and caregivers, which forms the basis of language development and regulation of emotions.
These are consistent with the results of Madigan et al. (2020), which identified the high volume
of screen time to correlate with worse results in the executive functions (memory, attention, and
self-regulation) in early childhood. In the same regard, a longitudinal study conducted by
Christakis et al. (2021) notes that children exposed to screens beyond two hours per day are at a
higher risk of exhibiting socio-emotional problematic behaviours like aggression, withdrawal,
and poor peer relationship. Moreover, Domingues-Montanari (2022) found that children who
spend a lot of time in front of the screen have broken sleep patterns and impaired connectivity of
brain regions, which hamper their preparation to succeed in school. The more recent meta-
analysis conducted by Zhao et al. (2023) highlights the fact that uncontrolled screen time
drastically dips in the process of language acquisition in comprehension and communication
empathy, which reflects on the classroom learning process as well as future academic
performance. All these findings support the decision to switch to structured digital consumption
with the guidance by adults in order to reduce the development lag and promote the overall
academic progress.

On the brighter side screens may be utilized as a mode of teaching video, electronic books, and
contact mediums. These have the capability of polishing some of the skills provided they are
overseen. The disadvantages, however, are far more alarming in such cases as unmonitored and
excessive screen use. It results in reduced real-life communication, sleeping problems as well as
access to adult material which makes the individual develop poorly both academically and
personally. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics (2023), there should be an age-
restricted use of screens and an incentive to engage in playing, reading and interacting with
others. Equal technology consumption can aid growth, yet an absence of this guidance may cause
milestone postponement and school incomprehension.

10. Behavior and Anxiety

Among Indian school children, the mean volume of weekly recreational screen time (3 h/day +/
-1.2 ) had a negative relationship with academic performance even after the variables of BMI,
behavior, and anxiety were adjusted, and the recreational screen time of Indian school children is
an independent predictor of poorer Grade 6 ranking (Sidiq et al., 2025). Singles consider alcohol
as a friend in need so that they may be able to live without it.

Sidiq et al. (2025) also confirmed that students in India that had high screen-based usage of
recreation had lower grades, even when behavior, BMI, and anxiety had been considered. This
support the argument that screen use itself and not merely comorbid health conditions can
damage academics. One of the disadvantages is that its effects are multidimensionally controlled,
which contributes to strengthening the screen time itself as an independent risk factor. Its
negative side is, however, the difficulty of replacing long-used screen patterns in a generation
dominated by technology. Nevertheless, this again makes the case to introduce education on
screen management to health and academic support programs at school.

Current data indicates that extended use of screens in recreational activities is strongly linked to
high anxiety and behavioral problems in school-going children and crucially, even after the
factors of differences in BMI and the overall well-being are factored in, this association is
strongly held. One study has also demonstrated in a large-scale Indian study by Sidiq et al.
(2025) an average screen time of recreational screens of three hours per day and has also stated
that the exposure is one of the factors that predicts lower academic ranking of Grade 6 learners
compared to the behavioral or physiological factors in that sample. In a similar study done in
different parts of the world, there has been a direct relationship between more screen use and
emotional-behavioral issues such as anxiety with a specific mention being made of children with
more usage having more severe mental problems . The adolescent study in Malaysia also
supported it, stating that the use of screens also boosted anxiety and depression, which was
mediated by poor sleep quality Further, an Indian peer-reviewed study reaffirmed the conclusion
in 2024 that increased screen exposure is associated with greater behavioral symptoms and lower
performance in schools and that screen time is an independent risk factor
.Lastly, a 2025 systematic review has shown that video gaming and extreme media multitasking
are related to social-emotional disorders and stress among children of 6 10 years and tend to
reinforce the issue of one another as distressed emotions lead to increased screen time, and vice
versa . Altogether, these works emphasize that in addition to being a physical health issue,
excessive exposure to the screen in Grade 6 students regularly interferes with emotional
regulation, behavioral well-being, sleep, and the academic performance and highlights the
importance of school and health initiatives to provide screen-time education and healthy mental
health approaches.

11. Inverse Relationships

Other research findings also indicate that a negative correlation exists between passive screen
idle time and performance in school among children and teenagers. The same study by Liu et al.
(2023) found that passive screen media use (e.g., television watching and informal video
streaming) was systematically and statistically correlated with low scores at reading
comprehension and mathematics in primary schoolers, regardless of the socioeconomic
condition. Likewise, a study conducted by Walsh et al. (2022) revealed that middle school age
adolescents who used social media or playing platforms longer than three hours a day were at a
higher risk of and could attain an average score in standardized tests. These results uphold the
argument that not all time spent on a screen is as harmful, to which leisure use can impair
cognitive attention, whereas formal online activities, such as educational sites, can experience
modest advantages.

In addition, recent empirical evidence stresses that non-recreational or goal-oriented screen

activities are associated with a slight and significant positive impact on academic outcomes.
According to the study conducted by Kwon et al. (2021), students who used computers or tablets
when filling assignments or doing a research on academic material said that it led to better grades
and the number of tasks done. Wang and Lee (2024) proved that children who used structured
digital reading platforms, were much better at vocabulary and comprehension than their peers
who read non-educational material. Nonetheless, it is a fine balance: an excessive use of digital
academic tools that lack support at the parental and institutional level can still be distractive. In
such a way, content-based regulation and educational screen literacy is important. According to
Zhou et al (2020), they stated that interventions educating both the students and caregivers on
screen usage leads to a more effective learning result than screen time limitation alone.

12.

Synthesis

Literature on the topic has demonstrated a steady increase in the level of concern about excessive
screen time among Grade 6 learners and its effect on academic performance and developmental
well-being in recent research between 2020 and 2025. Importantly, Moubayed et al. (2020) state
that student engagement emotional, behavioral, and cognitive involvement is one of the most
essential determinants of academic performance in digital learning contexts. Intrinsic motivation
is also evident when the students engage actively taking part in activities like online discussions,
quizzes and learning blogs among others. However, the data distortion is recorded when the
students log in to virtual platforms without having a substantial cognitive involvement, which
negates a proper measuring of their performances. On the same note, Backlinko (2025) found out
that children aged 8-12 years spend five hours each day doing screen-based activities, which are
mainly recreational in nature, including games, social media and video streaming. The fact that
learning material has never been more prevalent is not necessarily reflective of the amount
consumed even though it is very much available. Such imbalance gives rise to great concerns
about cognitive stumbling, shorter attention span and poor academic productivity. World Health
Organization (2021), further supported this trend in the world, as it published the facts that
among children aged between 10 and 12 years, only 0.5 to 1.5 hours of screen time are dedicated
to teaching activities, whereas the rest of the time is spent on entertainment. All these evidence
indicates that uniformed policies and interventions of screen use by educators and caregivers are
urgently required to make sure that screen time helps learners develop intellectually.

Besides its academic consequences, screen excess causes adverse outcomes in cognitive,
behavioral, and emotional development of students. According to the American Academy of
Pediatrics (2023) excessive use of digital devices lowers the quality of caregiver-child
interactions, which is essential to building communication, empathy, and emotional regulation.
Lack of these very skills leads in many cases to impaired executive functioning and bad school
results. In addition, Sidiq et al. (2025) confirmed that among Indian Grades 6 students, a high
proportion of recreational screen use was linked to poor academic ranks after accounting for
body mass index (BMI), behavior, and anxiety. This implies that screen leisure time is a self-
regulating factor of poor academic achievement. This kind of discovery allows emphasizing the
necessity of screen management teaching being integrated into school educational and health
programs. As much as digital devices presuppose great educational benefits with the help of e-
books, educational videos, and collaboration platforms, they can only provide those benefits
when they are used with constant monitoring and balance. Screens can cause both academic
failures and behavioral problems with long-term developmental delays even without adequate
controlling. Therefore, the cooperation of stakeholders such as parents, teachers, and policy-
makers have to do with encouraging purposeful, age-appropriate, and education-focused screen
use as a contributor to the overall development of young learners.

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