Children who spend a lot of time on screens score lower on language, writing and reading tests.
What are the consequences of a significant use of screens by children? We already know its effects on sight, but American researchers show that the construction of the brain of the youngest is also altered by excessive use of these tools. In a study published by JAMA Pediatrics and carried out at the Cincinatti Children’s Hospital Medical Center, researchers show that children who use screens the most have lower scores on language, writing and reading tests.
Poorer results in cognitive tests
For the purposes of this research, 47 healthy children, including 27 girls and 20 boys, were recruited. All were between 3 and 5 years old and carried out cognitive tests. Doctors did MRI scans to analyze the density of white matter in the brain and its structural integrity. The white matter looks like an accumulation of cables, surrounded by myelin, and which allow the different areas of the brain to communicate. At the same time, parents answered a questionnaire on their children’s relationship with screens.
Scientists found that children who spent the most time on screens had the lowest scores in language tests: they needed more time to name objects, and in writing and reading tests. Their white matter integrity was also lower, meaning nerve connections were slower.
Recommendations to limit the use of screens
“These results show the importance of understanding the effects of screen time on the brain, particularly during periods of brain development in childhood,” says the study’s lead author, Dr. policy makers and parents can set boundaries.” The American Academy of Pediatrics rightly recommends that parents limit the use of screens for their children. For babies under 18 months, it is better not to use the screens at all, except for the video call tools. Between 18 and 24 months, parents can watch good quality video content with their children and explain it to them. Between 2 and 5 years old, the use of screens must be limited to one hour a day at most, always ensuring the quality of the programs and explaining them. The organization suggests delimiting moments and spaces without a screen in the house.
Last April, the World Health Organization also issued recommendations: screens should be banned from the daily lives of children under one year old. Between 2 and 4 years old, the less they are exposed to it, the better, even if the time spent in front of a screen should not exceed one hour. All these measures make it possible to further stimulate the youngest and fight against a sedentary lifestyle.
