An increase in screen time can lead to a change in the structure of children's brains
| Updated: Dec 10, 2018, 12:58 IST
Today, adolescents are glued to screens. Whether it's the phone screen or the laptop screen or even the television screen, an increase in screen time can literally change the structure of children's brains, according to a recent study conducted that has been funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH).
The first bits of data suggest that the onslaught of tech screens has been transformative for young people -- and maybe not for the better. “We don’t know if it’s being caused by the screen time. We don’t know if it’s a bad thing,” NIH study director Gaya Dowling said, according to an advance transcript provided by a leading network. “It won’t be until we follow them over time that we will see if there are outcomes that are associated with the differences that we’re seeing in this single snapshot,” the transcript read.
Early results from the study, called Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD), have determined that children who spend more than two hours of daily screen time score lower on thinking and language tests. A major release of this data is scheduled for early 2019.
The first bits of data suggest that the onslaught of tech screens has been transformative for young people -- and maybe not for the better. “We don’t know if it’s being caused by the screen time. We don’t know if it’s a bad thing,” NIH study director Gaya Dowling said, according to an advance transcript provided by a leading network. “It won’t be until we follow them over time that we will see if there are outcomes that are associated with the differences that we’re seeing in this single snapshot,” the transcript read.
Early results from the study, called Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD), have determined that children who spend more than two hours of daily screen time score lower on thinking and language tests. A major release of this data is scheduled for early 2019.