Bedroom TV and Video Games and Effects on Children

Author: Iowa State University
Published: 26 Sep 2017 - Updated: 29 Jun 2026
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed | Research, Study, Analysis

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates - Related Publications

Synopsis: This research, a peer-reviewed study led by Iowa State University psychology professor Douglas Gentile and published in the journal Developmental Psychology, tracked children over periods ranging from six months to two years to examine how having a television or video game system in the bedroom affects their development. The findings show that bedroom media increases total screen time, which in turn displaces beneficial activities such as reading and sleep, indirectly contributing to lower school grades, higher body mass index, greater physical aggression, and symptoms of video game addiction. Gentile stresses that the harm is not a direct result of the screen's physical presence but of the ease of access it creates, drawing on decades of addiction research showing that access is the strongest predictor of problematic use, which makes this a practical, evidence-based reference for parents and caregivers weighing where to place media in the home.*

At a Glance

• 1 - Children with bedroom media tended to view more violent programs and games, which raised levels of physical aggression.
• 2 - National figures show more than 40 percent of children aged 4 to 6 have a television in their bedroom, with a majority of those aged 8 and older having a TV or console.
• 3 - Gentile estimates children now spend close to 60 hours a week in front of screens, and expects the effects of bedroom devices to be as strong or stronger than those of TVs and games alone.

Topic Definition: Bedroom Media

Bedroom media refers to televisions, video game consoles, computers, tablets, smartphones, and other screen-based devices kept in a child's bedroom, where their use is largely private and unsupervised. Researchers distinguish bedroom media from screens located in shared family spaces because placing devices in the bedroom gives children near-constant access while reducing a parent's ability to monitor content and limit duration. This ease of access tends to increase total screen time and displace activities such as reading, sleep, and physical play, and it has been linked indirectly to outcomes including poorer school performance, higher body mass index, increased aggression, and signs of video game addiction.

Introduction

Douglas Gentile, lead author and professor of psychology, says the research shows location really does matter. When there was a TV or video games in the bedroom, children spent less time reading, sleeping or participating in other activities, which had a ripple effect on several outcomes. As a result, these children did not do as well in school and were at greater risk for obesity and video game addiction, Gentile said.

Researchers were able to track these effects over a period of six months to two years.

The study, published in the journal Developmental Psychology, also found children with bedroom media watched programs and played video games that were more violent, which increased levels of physical aggression. Gentile says it stands to reason that most parents are not fully aware of what is happening behind closed doors.

"When most children turn on the TV alone in their bedroom, they're probably not watching educational shows or playing educational games," Gentile said. "Putting a TV in the bedroom gives children 24-hour access and privatizes it in a sense, so as a parent you monitor less and control their use of it less."

The study utilizes data from Gentile's previous studies on screen time and media content. While some of the results mirror the findings in those studies, Gentile says they found that having bedroom media significantly changes the amount of time children spend with media, changes the content they view, but also changes what children do not do, such as reading.

Main Content

Digital Media Changes Everything

Several studies have tracked changes in children's screen time.

Gentile says that number continues to trend upward, nearing close to 60 hours a week that children spend in front of screens. National studies show that more than 40 percent of children, ages 4-6, have a TV in their bedroom, and a substantial majority of children 8 and older have a TV or video game console in their bedrooms.

While this study looked specifically at TVs and video games in the bedroom, Gentile expects the effects to be the same, if not stronger, given the access children now have to digital devices. He has talked with parents worried about their child's digital media use or how best to set limits. Their concerns range from children accessing questionable content to responding in the middle of the night to text messages or social media alerts, he said.

It is a challenge Gentile says he too has faced as a parent, but he encourages others to keep media out of their children's bedroom. It may cause a battle in the short term, but will benefit children in the long term.

"It's a lot easier for parents to never allow a TV in the bedroom than it is to take it out," he said. "It's a question every parent must face, but there is a simple two-letter answer. That two-letter answer is tough, but it is worth it."

Indirect, but Significant Effect

It may be natural for parents to wonder why a TV in the bedroom is any different from any other room in the home.

Gentile says it comes down to ease of access. There is no direct link between the physical presence of a TV and poor grades. Rather, bedroom media makes it easier for children to spend more time watching or playing, which displaces other beneficial and healthful activities.

For example, researchers tracked children over a period of 13 and 24 months and found bedroom media (both TV and video games) increased total screen time, which indirectly affected school grades. The data pointed to one explanation - third through fifth grade students who spent more time watching TV, spent less time reading. According to the study, increased screen time was also associated with higher body mass index, physical aggression and symptoms of video game addiction.

"We know from decades of research on addiction that the No. 1 predictor of addiction is access. You can't be addicted to gambling, if there is no place to gamble," Gentile said. "Access is certainly the gateway to a wide range of effects, both positive and negative."

Olivia Berch worked with Gentile on this study as an undergraduate at Iowa State. Hyekyung Choo, National University of Singapore; Angeline Khoo, Nanyang Technological University; and David Walsh, Mind Positive Parenting, also contributed to the research.

Related Information

• Link Between Child TV Time and Metabolic Syndrome
• Use of Electronic Devices to Calm Kids
• Gaming Disorder Disability: Video Game Addiction (VGA)
• Why Babies Under Two Should Have No Screen Time at All: UK researchers warn that screen time for children under two carries long-term health risks and offers few real benefits during early development.
• Screen Time Linked to Psychological Problems in Children
• Too much TV, Video and Computer Can Make Teens Fatter
• Link Between Excessive Screen Time and Teen Suicide Risk

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Iowa State University and published on 26 Sep 2017, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.