A gaming session that spills over into homework time, a tablet switched on as soon as your child gets home from school, a console still on late at night: many parents know these scenes. Screens are part of our children's lives. The real question is when they start to weigh on schoolwork, and how to keep a balance at home.
Screens and video games: what are we talking about?
Screen time covers every leisure activity in front of a screen: television, online videos, series, messaging, social media and video games. Schoolwork on a computer does not count.
This article focuses on video games and screen time at home. For social media and smartphones at school, read our article on the impact of social media on students' lives.
Is gaming a lot an addiction?
Spending a lot of time on a screen does not mean being addicted. The World Health Organization (WHO) did include “gaming disorder” in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), adopted in May 2019 and in force since 1 January 2022. But this diagnosis applies to a minority of players.
To speak of a disorder, the WHO looks for three signs that usually last at least twelve months:
- gaming is out of control (starting, duration, stopping);
- it takes priority over other interests and daily activities;
- it continues despite clear negative consequences, at school, at home or with friends.
European figures give a sense of scale. According to the HBSC survey published by WHO Europe in 2024 (young people aged 11, 13 and 15), a third of adolescents play every day, more than one in five plays at least four hours on gaming days, and 12% are at risk of problematic gaming, more often boys (16%) than girls (7%).
How do screens affect schoolwork?
Studies find a link between a lot of screen time and lower school results. This link does not prove that screens are the only cause: sleep, physical activity and the family climate also play a part. It is precisely through these paths that screens weigh on school.
Less time for homework and study
The first effect is simple: an hour of gaming is an hour not spent on homework, reviewing a lesson or resting. Online games are designed to last (one match after another, daily challenges, rewards), which makes stopping hard.
Shorter sleep
Gaming or watching videos in the evening pushes back bedtime and makes falling asleep harder. Yet a primary school child needs about 9 to 11 hours of sleep, a teenager 8 to 10 hours. A pupil who sleeps badly remembers less well and concentrates less in class.
Less movement
The WHO recommends that 5 to 17 year olds get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day, on average. Time spent sitting in front of a screen often comes out of sport and outdoor play, which help children concentrate and feel good.
Concentration and patience
A video game rewards quickly and often. Studying requires effort whose result comes late: a good mark at the end of the week, a pass in June. A child used to instant rewards may find schoolwork less rewarding. Some games do call on attention, strategy or English: not everything is bad.
How can you tell if your child spends too much time on screens?
The Canadian guidelines, often quoted, set a benchmark of no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time a day between ages 5 and 17. This figure is a guide, not an absolute rule. Your child's behaviour matters more than the clock.
A few signs should alert you:
- frequent tiredness in the morning, difficulty waking up;
- irritability, anger or sadness when it is time to stop;
- rushed or forgotten homework, falling marks;
- a loss of interest in school, sport or friends;
- difficulty concentrating on a task that does not involve a screen.
If several of these signs persist for months, talk to your GP or to the school's PMS centre (the psycho-medical-social guidance service).
How can you reduce screen time at home?
Every child and every family has its own constraints. One thing is certain: changing your child's habits often means rethinking your own as well.
Start with a conversation
Choose a calm moment to talk about it, without blame. Explain your concerns and listen to what your child enjoys about their games. A child who understands what is at stake accepts limits more easily.
Set clear family rules
Agree together on a few simple rules that apply to everyone:
- homework first, games afterwards;
- no screens at mealtimes;
- no screens in the hour before bed;
- the console and phone sleep outside the bedroom;
- gaming time planned in advance on weekdays, more flexible at weekends.
Choose the games and use parental controls
The PEGI rating (3, 7, 12, 16 and 18), shown on games sold in Belgium, indicates the age suited to the content. It says nothing about playing time, hence the value of the parental control tools built into consoles, tablets and smartphones: daily limits, time slots, blocked purchases. Use them first to measure with your child how much time they really spend, then to help them stick to the rules you agreed on together.
Make studying more motivating
Video games appeal through short goals and visible progress. You can borrow this for studying: break the work into small steps, each doable in 20 to 30 minutes, and tick off what is done. Your child can then see they are moving forward. A good study method is built on this kind of plan.
Bring movement back into the week
A regular sport, on a fixed day and at a fixed time, is one of the best counterweights to screens. It gives the week structure and naturally takes the place of part of the gaming time.
Support to get back on track
When screens have taken up too much space, homework often becomes a source of tension. An outside person can help restore structure without conflict. At My Sherpa, an educational advisor chooses a coach for your child who helps them organise their work: homework help in primary school, private tutoring in secondary school, at home anywhere in Belgium or online.
