According to a study by researchers from Rutgers University-New Brunswick (New Jersey, USA), young teens who spend more than an hour each day playing video games or using the internet and social media have significantly lower school grades than those who don’t. They also found that boys were more negatively impacted by higher usage than girls.

In their study of 10,000 students, with an average age of 13.5 year, the researchers also discovered that those who spend more than four hours a day on video games/internet are four times more likely to skip classes at school.

This coincides with another finding that students who spent an hour or more on games and the internet found school more boring than those who didn’t.

Based on their study, the researchers recommended that parents limit the amount of time their children spend on games and the internet.

READ: Teenagers who use the internet, social media or video games for more than an HOUR daily have ‘significantly lower grades and test scores’, scientists warn