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Extra screen time links to teenagers' poorer GCSE grades: study

Xinhua, September 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

Teenagers spending extra hours per day watching TV, using the internet or playing computer games might see poorer grades at GCSE, according to a study published Friday by the University of Cambridge.

A team of researchers at the University of Cambridge studied 845 pupils from secondary schools in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, measuring levels of activity and sedentary behavior at age 14.5 years and then comparing this to their performance in their GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) the following year.

The team found that each additional hour per day of time spent in front of the TV or online at age 14.5 years was associated with 9.3 fewer GCSE points at age 16 years. Two extra hours was associated with 18 fewer points at GCSE.

Researchers said even if the pupils did a lot of reading and homework, watching TV or online activity still damaged their academic performance.

As well as looking at total screen time, the researchers analyzed time spent in different screen activities. The results showed that Although watching TV, playing computer games or being online were all associated with poorer grades, TV viewing was found to be the most detrimental.

"So we can reasonably suggest that screen time may be damaging to a teenager's grades. Further research is needed to confirm this effect conclusively, but parents who are concerned about their child's GCSE grade might consider limiting his or her screen time," said Dr. Kirsten Corder. Endit