2026-08-18 11:01:27

Parents who spend hours scrolling on their phones around young children could be affecting their language development, a study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Oslo followed 747 Norwegian children for three years, from age five to eight, assessing their vocabulary and understanding of grammar alongside their use of digital devices.

The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found that children whose parents spent more time on their phones showed slower vocabulary development.

The association increased with every additional hour a parent spent using their phone each day.

Children whose parents spent around four hours a day on their phones scored about 2.5 points lower on language tests than those whose parents used their phones for about an hour.

By comparison, children who owned their own tablet or smartphone initially had weaker language scores, but the difference had disappeared by age seven.

The researchers suggest the issue may be less about the technology itself and more about what it replaces.

Dr Junji Yang, the study’s first author, said: “Smartphone use is often attentionally disruptive.

“Such disruption can reduce opportunities for children to hear language and take part in conversations.”

The findings are consistent with earlier research showing that screen use can reduce parent-child interaction.

A 2024 JAMA Pediatrics study found that as children aged 12 to 36 months spent more time with screens, they generally heard fewer adult words, produced fewer vocalisations and took part in fewer conversational exchanges.

A separate review of 21 studies involving almost 15,000 children also found that parents’ technology use in their children’s presence was associated with poorer cognitive and psychosocial outcomes, although the effects were small.

The researchers behind the Norwegian study stressed that screen use is not inherently harmful.

Instead, excessive device use may displace activities such as reading, playing and talking together.

They concluded: “Higher overall screen engagement within the family may replace high-quality interactions, such as shared reading and storytelling activities that promote word learning.”

Current guidance recommends limiting young children’s recreational screen time.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends no more than one hour a day for children aged two to four, while paediatric guidance also emphasises high-quality content and watching together where possible.

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