Screen time not consistently linked to children's emotional and social development | Usher Institute

A new study led by Fiona McQuaid, a public health doctor and Master of Public Health (MPH) graduate at the Usher Institute, has found no consistent association between children's screen use and their emotional, behavioural and social development.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the research analysed data from the long-running Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) birth cohort study to explore how screen use at ages five, 10 and 15 relates to psychosocial development over time.

The study, led by Fiona under the supervision of Bohee Lee, Research Associate at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, examined data collected over 15 years from children born in Scotland in 2005/06. Unlike many previous studies, the researchers accounted for a range of important influences, including the quality of the parent-child relationship, socioeconomic background and other family factors. Children's emotional, behavioural and social wellbeing was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a widely used measure of psychosocial development.

Overall, the researchers found no consistent evidence that the amount of time children spent using screens was associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes throughout childhood and adolescence.

The main exception was adolescents who spent more than five hours a day playing electronic games at age 15, who showed a higher risk of psychosocial difficulties. In contrast, adolescents who reported higher levels of social media and messaging app use had a lower risk of emotional, behavioural and social problems than those using these platforms for less than one hour a day. Children with very high levels of overall screen use at age five were more likely to experience psychosocial difficulties at age 10, although this association did not persist to age 15 and was not consistently observed across analyses.

We found that the amount of time children spent on screens does not necessarily negatively impact their emotional, behavioural and social development, and there may be some benefits, such as increased connections with others, particularly as this information was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are not suggesting that unlimited screen use is a good thing. Rather, we need to better understand which aspects of screen use are helpful, which are harmful, and for whom. These results are particularly important to consider in the context of changes in national policy, such as proposals for a complete ban on social media for under-16s.

After accounting for family dynamics, including the quality of the parent-child relationship, socioeconomic background and other important factors, we found no consistent association between screen use and psychosocial problems in children.
These findings suggest that focusing solely on screen time limits is unlikely to meaningfully improve children's emotional or behavioural development. Instead, greater attention should be paid to family engagement and the broader context in which children use screens.

Cite as

McQuaid F, Skafida V, McQuillan R, Lee B. Screen Use and Emotional, Behavioral, and Social Development in Children. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(8):e2626804. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.26804

Further information

Screen Use and Emotional, Behavioral, and Social Development in Children | Adolescent Medicine | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network

Master of Public Health (MPH) On Campus | Master of Public Health | Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences

This article was published on Friday 7 August 2026