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Digital tools are an integral part of our modern lives, especially in education. However, as the prominence of technology grows, concerns about too much screen time and the effects of a sedentary lifestyle increase too.
At first thought, screen-based learning may seem innovative and efficient. But when children spend hours sitting and staring at a screen, both at school and at home, the long-term consequences can be profound.
According to a 2025 study from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland, children who spend more time on screens are more likely to experience higher levels of stress and depressive symptoms in adolescence. On the other hand, children who are more physically active tend to report significantly lower stress levels and better emotional health.
Notably, the worst outcomes were seen in adolescents with both high screen use and low physical activity – a pattern that’s emerging earlier and earlier in elementary students.
What are the effects of too much screen time on our youngest learners? How is physical inactivity shaping their ability to think, grow, and succeed?
This article will explore the hidden costs of excessive screen time and sedentary classroom routines. From diminished focus to delayed child brain development, we’ll examine how these trends impact learning and development in ways that are often overlooked. Most importantly, we’ll share how incorporating movement into the school day can help reverse these trends by enhancing both physical activity and academic performance.
Technology certainly has its place in schools – from making information accessible for research papers to instantly grading digital assessments. But how much is too much screen time for kids? Keep in mind that many students leave school and rely on TVs, tablets, smartphones, computers, and video game consoles for entertainment at home.
As screen time increases and physical movement declines, we’re seeing measurable consequences in children’s health, attention, and academic growth. Recent research reveals the effects of too much screen time on child brain development, behavior, and physical health, and why it matters for school leaders to focus on improving learning and development outcomes.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, screen usage among children skyrocketed and has remained high. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that screen time for children aged 3-18 increased by 52% globally between 2020 and 2022. While screens supported remote learning and connection during lockdowns, that surge has not been fully dialed back.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recommends that children aged 6-10 have no more than 1.5 hours of recreational screen time per day. However, current statistics show that children aged 8-12 average 5.5 to 6 hours of recreational screen use per day – far exceeding the guidelines.
Screen time for children aged 0-2 doubled from 1997 to 2014. Those early ages are a critical time for child brain development. By the age of five, a child’s brain has reached approximately 90% of its adult size, forming neural pathways that support lifelong learning, behavior, and overall health.
How exactly does too much screen time impact cognitive development?
Screens deliver high-speed, high-stimulation content that our brains process as exciting and rewarding. Think of bright, colorful cartoons or fast-paced, animated gaming graphics. For young children, this creates an expectation for that kind of sensory input.
As a result, traditional classroom environments, where learning is slower and less visually exaggerated, can feel dull, making it difficult to focus and stay engaged. This imbalance challenges students’ ability to regulate attention during tasks that require patience or sustained concentration.
Research suggests that passive digital learning (e.g., watching videos or clicking through slides) is less effective than hands-on, real-world experiences. Screens may hinder deep processing, reducing the ability to retain and apply new information to the real world. In contrast, active experiences, such as jumping on a number line or acting out a story, promote stronger cognitive connections and longer-lasting memories.
Young children acquire language most effectively through face-to-face, back-and-forth verbal interactions—not by passively watching or listening. One study found that children with more screen time scored lower on grammar and vocabulary assessments.
Executive functions, including planning, self-control, working memory, and adaptable thinking, are critical for academic success and positive social interactions. Too much screen time, especially with media multitasking, can lead to worse development of these skills. This can manifest in classrooms as difficulty following directions, staying on task, or managing emotions.
Using screens to soothe children during moments of distress may seem helpful in the short term. But over time, frequent screen use for emotional calming can reduce children’s ability to self-regulate. Research linked excessive mobile device use with increased emotional reactivity and decreased executive functioning.
The impact of too much screen time doesn’t stop at the brain. It’s also reshaping children’s physical well-being and increasing the risk of long-term health issues associated with physical inactivity. The effects of a sedentary lifestyle are far-reaching.
Prolonged screen exposure can cause digital eye strain, also known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). Symptoms include dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and fatigue. Children often don’t verbalize these symptoms clearly, but signs like frequent eye rubbing, squinting, or difficulty focusing may indicate discomfort.
Studies have found a significant relationship between neck pain and screen use. Back and shoulder pain are common among children with high screen use as well. Extended sedentary behavior and poor posture while using devices are leading to an increase in musculoskeletal issues, even in young children.
When screens fill free time at home and school, children naturally become less active. A growing body of evidence links screen time to increased obesity risk, especially in children who also consume more calories during screen use and don’t meet daily movement guidelines. The effects of a sedentary lifestyle are particularly concerning in early childhood, when healthy habits are still forming.
Blue light from screens suppresses the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep. Children who use screens in the evening often experience delayed sleep onset and poor sleep quality, which can lead to fatigue, irritability, and reduced cognitive function the next day.
Higher screen time is also correlated with negative impacts on sleep efficiency, dream recall, and circadian rhythms in children. Additionally, poor sleep exacerbates the academic challenges already associated with excessive screen exposure.
In a notable 2024 study that followed 9,500 nine and 10-year-olds, researchers discovered that children with more screen time had more mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, focus challenges, and impulsive behavior. The combination of digital overstimulation and physical inactivity appears to be especially detrimental to emotional resilience.
What may look like normal tech use can quietly disrupt a child’s ability to focus, connect, and thrive. The effects of too much screen time, when coupled with physical inactivity, are emerging as widespread barriers to effective learning and development in elementary schools.
We know that most of the detrimental effects of too much screen time are a result of physical inactivity. While digital tools are intended to enhance learning, their overuse has unintentionally led to an epidemic of physical inactivity in K–5 students. Understanding the effects of a sedentary lifestyle is essential for educators aiming to support the whole child.
According to the 2022 U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, only 21% of U.S. children aged 6–17 meet the daily recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Even more concerning, physical activity levels steadily decline with age, and the K–5 years are becoming increasingly sedentary.
Studies show that as children spend more time on tablets, phones, and computers, both at school and at home, they spend less time playing, walking, and engaging in movement-based activities. This shift leads not only to physical concerns but also to missed opportunities for learning and development that require full-body engagement.
More and more research is connecting physical activity and academic performance. Movement fuels brain development by increasing blood flow, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the brain’s key regions for learning. It also boosts production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which are critical for attention, mood regulation, and motivation.
Importantly, physical activity also increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a powerful protein that supports the formation of new neural connections and strengthens memory retention. When children move, their brains literally become more prepared to learn.
In contrast, physical inactivity is linked to weaker cognitive outcomes. One meta-analysis found that sedentary behavior was associated with lower scores in executive functions, including inhibition, planning abilities, and cognitive flexibility.
These are the mental processes that allow students to concentrate, stay organized, adapt to new situations, and solve problems. Without enough movement, these essential skills may lag behind, compromising classroom engagement and long-term academic growth.
For school leaders, this presents a critical insight: reducing sedentary time and incorporating movement throughout the day is not a distraction from learning – it’s a powerful strategy to enhance it.
The effects of a sedentary lifestyle extend beyond the classroom. Physical inactivity in early childhood is increasingly linked to long-term health risks once associated with adulthood.
Children who sit for prolonged periods and lack regular physical activity face higher risks of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19.7% of US children and adolescents have obesity, a condition strongly tied to inactivity and screen overuse. This is approximately 14.7 million youth, or 1 in 5 youth. Prevalence of obesity rises with age, impacting 20.7% of elementary-aged children (6-11 years old) and 22.2% of adolescents (12-19 years old).
Childhood obesity is strongly associated with poorer lifelong health outcomes, including hypertension, high cholesterol, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, depression, eating disorders, anxiety, and more.
Movement is essential for developing fine and gross motor skills in early childhood. Activities like jumping, balancing, and climbing help children build coordination, strength, and spatial awareness.
Sedentary routines, on the other hand, have been shown to correlate with delays in motor development, limiting children’s ability to write, play sports, or participate fully in school activities.
Sedentary behavior increases the risk for anxiety, depression, and lower levels of emotional well-being. Conversely, movement reduces levels of cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, and increases the release of endorphins, the brain’s natural feel-good chemicals.
All in all, prolonged sitting and limited movement have a significant impact on how children feel, think, and learn. By recognizing the effects of physical inactivity and adding movement into the school day, educators create a healthier foundation for child brain development, emotional balance, and academic success.
We’ve already established that physical activity enhances cognitive functioning and learning. But besides helping students avoid the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle, what else can movement do for academic performance?
Research consistently shows a positive connection between physical activity and academic performance. Physical activity has been found to enhance memory, boost the brain’s processing speed, and strengthen the ability to retain and synthesize information, which are key functions for mastering new content in math, reading, and beyond.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that students who are physically active tend to have better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance, and classroom behavior.
These effects are especially strong when movement is developmentally appropriate and regularly embedded into the school day. In one study, students who participated in classroom physical activity breaks demonstrated increased on-task behavior compared to sedentary peers. Another trial involving 2301 primary students found that an exercise intervention increased academic scores by 8.36-9.55 points.
Yet another study found that in California, students who passed the state physical fitness test scored higher on standardized tests. In addition, California students whose fitness improved between 5th and 7th grade saw a greater score increase on their standardized tests than those whose fitness declined.
Incorporating physical activity into the school day can lead to fewer classroom disruptions and improved behavior. Even short bursts of movement can help reduce restlessness and redirect energy in productive ways.
Movement-rich learning environments also foster social and emotional development. Activities that require teamwork and physical collaboration help children build communication, cooperation, and problem-solving skills.
Importantly, movement can be a transformative tool for students with learning disabilities, ADHD, or autism. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of inattention, increase self-regulation, and improve behavior and social skills. For these students, movement can be a lifeline to more inclusive, empowering educational experiences.
School leaders can use movement as a research-backed strategy that improves learning and development across the board.
Want to head deeper into the research and results behind Math & Movement? Explore our Program Data page to see how schools across the US are transforming student achievement with our kinesthetic learning strategies.
The research is clear: physical activity is a catalyst for learning. Movement fuels focus, sharpens memory, builds emotional resilience, and supports child brain development in powerful, lasting ways. It also directly addresses the hidden costs we’ve explored – those stemming from too much screen time, physical inactivity, and the effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
Math & Movement presents a solution for school leaders looking to boost physical activity and academic performance in their classrooms.
Our program is grounded in the science of kinesthetic learning, combining movement with academic instruction. Students engage their bodies as well as their brains when they explore concepts by moving on our floor mats and stickers.
We offer educators a practical way to integrate hands-on, physical learning into their existing lesson plans. Whether it’s performing active math movements or hopping on the materials in our Whole School Kits, students can be physically active while learning standards-aligned concepts. Our kits include access to our online activity database, featuring hundreds of ways to utilize our materials with your students.
Built for Busy School Schedules
Identify your school’s grade levels and instructional priorities—we’ll recommend the kits and materials that best support your academic goals.
Our materials come with free, ready-to-use activities—making it easy for teachers to add movement to lessons with minimal prep.
Most activities require little to no prep. Just roll out the mat and start teaching with movement.
Use activities as warm-ups, classroom lessons, or interventions. Also add to family engagement events, summer learning, and afterschool programs.
Our U.S.-based support team is dedicated to helping your school succeed with movement-based learning. Easily plan virtual or in-person PDs for your staff.
Addressing the effects of too much screen time and sedentary routines is both a wellness initiative and an academic priority. By reducing physical inactivity and incorporating movement into the classroom, we support the whole child: body and brain.
Math & Movement is here to help educators overcome the hidden effects of too much screen time and sedentary lifestyles. Let’s reimagine what learning looks like: not passive and seated, but active, joyful, and embodied.
Some of the effects of a sedentary lifestyle include:
For children aged 6-10, health experts like the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend no more than 1 to 1.5 hours of recreational screen time per day. However, many elementary-aged children exceed this suggestion by several hours daily.
Too much screen time, especially passive use like watching videos or scrolling, can lead to eye strain, poor sleep, decreased attention, and delays in cognitive and language development. If your children or students are experiencing any of these negative effects, it’s important to set thoughtful limits and balance screen use with physical activity.
Some of the effects of too much screen time for kids include:
Excessive screen time may impair a child’s attention span, working memory, and executive functions like planning and self-control. Over time, constant exposure to fast-paced, high-stimulation content can make it harder for children to focus in traditional classroom settings. Studies link high screen use to slower language development and reduced emotional regulation.
Screens may also hinder deep processing, reducing the ability to retain and apply new information to the real world. Balancing screen time with physical activity and interactive learning is essential for healthy child brain development.
Physical inactivity in children can have wide-ranging consequences for both health and learning. It increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, even at a young age. It also contributes to poor motor skill development, disrupted sleep, and higher levels of stress and anxiety.
In the classroom, sedentary behavior is linked to reduced focus, memory, and executive function, making it harder for students to concentrate and perform academically. Encouraging daily movement supports physical health, emotional well-being, and stronger learning and development outcomes.
The most critical time for child brain development is ages 0-5. By age five, a child’s brain has reached approximately 90% of its adult size. It has already formed neural pathways that support lifelong learning, behavior, and overall health.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, April 25). Increasing physical education and physical activity: A framework for schools [PDF]. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-education/media/pdfs/2019_04_25_PE-PA-Framework_508tagged.pdf
Suzy Koontz, CEO and Founder of Math & Movement, has spent over 25 years helping students achieve academic success. She has created over 200 kinesthetic teaching tools adopted by schools nationwide and has authored over 20 books. As a sought-after national presenter, Suzy shares how movement can transform the way students learn.
Movement isn't just for recess
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