The effectiveness of school-based interventions to reduce problematic digital technology use and screen time: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and aims: A growing body of evidence suggests that excessive digital engagement can lead to adverse consequences, especially in children and adolescents. Many stakeholders point to prevention in the school environment as one way to mitigate these harms, though their effectiveness is unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate existing school-based preventive interventions aimed at reducing digital addiction and screen time among individuals aged 6-19 years old. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search across various databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, to identify relevant studies published between 2013 and 2023, of which 34 met the inclusion criteria. Results: The reviewed interventions were particularly effective at reducing measures of problematic digital technology use (d = 1.47 after intervention; d = 1.13 at follow-up), while being less effective at reducing screen time (d = 0.15 after intervention; d = 0.15 at follow-up). Interventions which were externally led, actively included parents, targeted at-risk youth or employed a therapy-based approach were more successful at decreasing problematic digital technology use. A slightly larger decrease in screen time was observed in interventions with external leaders, targeting at risk populations and those lasting upwards of three months. Discussion and Conclusions: Due to the observed publication bias and modest statistical power within subgroup analyses, more empirical research is recommended to confirm the identified trends. Overall, given the promising results, policymakers should strongly consider exploring possibilities of systemic inclusion of digital addiction interventions within the school curriculum.