Making the Switch: from Screens to Reading
In today’s digital world, screens have become firmly embedded in the lives of our young people. Technology has a pivotal role in the way children and teenagers learn, communicate and spend their free time. There is a wealth of research into screen use and the negative effects on the neurological, social and personal development of children. The challenge for educators, parents and carers is how to counter the negative effects of excessive screen use and create a more balanced view of the world. Reading could provide the key to finding that balance.
What does the latest research tell us about screen time v reading time?
Recent government research suggests that extended screen time has become normalized for young people with a 52% increase in the amount of time children spend on screens in the last 5 years. Alarmingly, nearly 25% of young people use screens excessively in such a way that their behaviour can be considered an addiction.
Whilst estimates vary in relation to hours spent on screen, latest UK government research has found that 5-15 year olds spend on average 44 hours per week on screen which amounts to at least 2 days per week and a total of 22,800 hours during a period of crucial development.
Let’s compare this to averages for reading time: The National Literacy Trust estimates that only 44.5% of 5–8 year olds read daily with that figure declining to only 18.7% of 8-18 year olds. They argue that the optimal time a young person should spend reading is 12 hours per week – only 1.7 hours per day (and much less than the 44 hours currently devoted to screens).
Why is it important to redress this imbalance and make the switch from screens to books? To answer this question, we need to first consider the negative effects of screen usage as opposed to what researchers argue are the benefits of reading.
What are the negative effects of screen usage?
Research has found that the negative effects of screen usage certainly outweigh any potential educational and communicative benefits. Research into the detrimental impact of the excessive use of screens is well documented particularly in relation to exposure to on-line harm. Most recently, research has found that young people who were exposed to in excess of 2 hours per day recreational screen time had poorer working memory, attention levels, language skills and executive functioning. In addition, screen time can lead to damaging sleep patterns.
What happens when we encourage children to make the switch from screens to books?
A recent study of 10,000 young adolescents in the US found that children who read for pleasure early in life tend to perform better cognitively and have better mental health.
Researchers argue that rapid brain development during childhood and adolescence makes it imperative that we establish behaviours which support positive cognitive development.
Researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Warwick and Fudan University in China studied data from the US study to ascertain the impact that reading has on brain development, cognition and mental health into adulthood. In summary, researchers found that reading for pleasure whilst younger had a positive impact in adolescence.
What was that impact?
Reading promoted better verbal learning, memory and speech development as well as better academic achievement. More importantly, young people who read regularly had better mental wellbeing and exhibited less signs of stress and depression as well as improved attention, behaviour and sleep patterns.
Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge states: ‘Reading isn’t just a pleasurable experience – it’s widely accepted that it inspires thinking and creativity, increases empathy and reduces stress. But on top of this, we found significant evidence that it’s linked to important developmental factors in children, improving their cognition, mental health, and brain structure, which are cornerstones for future learning and well-being.’
It’s time to find a positive balance in our digital world
Screens are here to stay and used productively can have some benefits but arguably those benefits are significantly outweighed by the negative impact on our children’s development, wellbeing and safety. On the other hand, reading can only enhance the development of young people. Professor Jianfeng Feng from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and the University of Warwick, UK, advocates for a proactive approach to fostering a love of reading:
‘We encourage parents to do their best to awaken the joy of reading in their children at an early age. Done right, this will not only give them pleasure and enjoyment, but will also help their development and encourage long-term reading habits, which may also prove beneficial into adult life.;
References:
Christina Clark, Irene Piction & Aimee Cole, ‘Children’s and Young People’s Reading in 2025’, National Literacy Trust, 12 June 2025
Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing Fourth Report of Session 2023–24 Report, together with formal minutes relating to the report Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 23 May 2024 HC 118 Published on 25 May 2024 by authority of the House of Commons
Yun-Jun Sun & Barbara J. Sahakian et al. Early-Initiated Childhood Reading for Pleasure: Associations with Better Cognitive Performance, Mental Well-being and Brain Structure in Young Adolescence. Psychological Medicine; 28 June 2023; DOI: 10.1017/S0033291723001381.