Researchers from Inserm and the National University of Singapore analysed 502 children from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) birth cohort. Parents reported screen viewing at six ages between 1 and 8. The team then measured academic performance at age 9 and working memory at age 10.5.
Published in World Journal of Pediatrics on 3 June 2026, the study linked higher viewing, especially in infancy and near school start, to lower academic results and weaker working memory.
Why ages 1 and 6 stand out
- Effect sizes at age 1 were the largest of all time points, which the authors link to screens displacing learning interactions in infancy.
- Viewing at ages 2 and 3 showed no significant links, but associations re-emerged at age 6, when children enter formal schooling.
- The findings are associations from parent-reported viewing; content quality, device type and whether parents watch alongside were not examined, the authors say.
Checking your household against the guidance
- Compare your toddler's viewing with WHO and American Academy of Pediatrics advice: no screens before 18 to 24 months, under one hour daily at ages 2 to 5.
- Review screen routines when your child starts formal schooling at age 6, the point where the associations returned.
- Note what your child watches and whether you watch together, since the authors say these factors need further study.