Non‐school‐related internet use and its relationship with school performance and engagement: A cross‐national study of middle school students in China and the United States

Abstract This study examined the relationships of excessive internet use and school performance among children in China and the United States by analyzing data from 8162 (49% girls) third‐year middle‐school students surveyed in the 2016 China Education Panel Survey and 5515 8th graders (50% girls) surveyed in the 2016 Monitoring the Future Survey. Approximately 20% of children in both countries spent 20+ h per week on the internet for non‐schoolwork‐related activities. Multivariate regressions showed that in China, children who spent five or fewer hours per week on non‐school‐related internet use had the significantly highest GPA and lowest odds of truancy. US children who used the internet for non‐school‐related purposes for 6–9 h per week had the highest GPA, while those who spent 20+ h per week had significantly higher odds of truancy. Moderate use may enhance educational experience; however, excessive use for non‐educational purposes may negatively impact school performance and engagement.