Screen time and developmental evidence: An empirical assessment from rural West Bengal

The rise of social media use among adolescents has sparked growing concerns regarding its potential impact on both physical health and academic performance. This paper is trying to explore the intricate relationship between social media scrolling time and two major student developmental outcomes: Quetelet index and Test scores in the Madhyamik (10-th board) examination. Primary data has been collected through a structured questionnaire (Pro-goti) survey administered to 300 students across four administrative blocks in West Bengal. We apply multivariate regression model estimation to account for interdependent educational and health outcomes. Preliminary findings suggest that higher social media use is negatively associated with both well-being and academic performance. The association with Quetelet index, while weaker, is contextually relevant due to the behavioural and lifestyle implications of prolonged screen exposure. Regression results indicates that higher levels of parental education contributing significantly to improved test scores, underscoring the intergenerational transmission of educational advantages. Children from joint families and larger households tend to perform worse, possibly due to divided attention, limited resources, or less conducive study environments. Religious disparities are also evident, with students from the Muslim community recording significantly lower test scores compared to their Hindu counterparts. The results provide valuable early evidence to inform policy discussions around screen time regulation, digital education literacy, and school-based behavioural interventions.