Spending too much time on a smartphone can lead to slower vocabulary growth in children, according to a
study published yesterday in
JAMA Pediatrics—except that it was
parental smartphone overuse that was linked with the language delays.
Why It’s Relevant
Much of the research about screen time and developmental delays has focused on children, but parental overuse of devices may play an important role in their children’s growth—both by reducing the frequency of quality social interactions and indirectly reinforcing a non-ideal behavior.
By the Numbers
- Researchers assessed data on digital device ownership and usage from 747 Norwegian children ages 4 to 5 and their primary parents.
- At baseline, children who had a personal digital device scored 5.13 points lower and 4.56 points lower on standardized tests for receptive vocabulary and grammar, respectively, than children without a personal device. Daily screen time, however, was not adversely linked with baseline scores.
- Over the next two years (through age 7), only parental smartphone usage at baseline was associated with slower vocabulary development. For each additional hour per day parents spent on the phone, children’s annual vocabulary growth shrank by 0.42 points.
- After factoring in parents’ educational background and household income, parental smartphone use accounted for 4.5% of the variance in children’s vocabulary scores.
The Other Side
Family screen use was measured only at baseline, and thus potential changes during the follow-up period were not captured. Further, parental data were limited to one parent in the household.
Takeaway Message
The findings highlight the importance of looking beyond screen time and considering a family’s broader media environment—including device “ownership”—when evaluating childhood development.
Related Information
Source
Junyi Yang, et al. Screen use and children’s language development from ages 5 to 7 years. JAMA Pediatrics. Published online August 17, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.3490
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/skynesher)