A spectral clustering approach to determine the relationship between technology use and academic performance

A worldwide concern has been escalating due to uninformed users on proper usage of technologies. In particular, researchers from various disciplines are more and more concerned about the impact of excessive screen time on children as it is becoming a major and real concern for parents and educators. In this study, spectral clustering is used to identify groups of third grade children of similar behavior in relation to screen time and academic performance. Indeed, two distinctive clusters have emerged from the data. One cluster grouped students with high screen time and low academic grade, whereas the second cluster grouped students with low screen time and high academic grade. The results should help in establishing guidelines for the amount of screen time in relation to the academic performance, a problem that is facing our developing world.