Study: Preschool children who have more screen time show structural differences in their brains

New research has found that screen time appears to be linked with structural brain changes in young children. — AFP Relaxnews

New US research has found that preschool-age children who use more screen-based media show structural differences in the brain – which could affect their language and literacy skills.

Carried out by researchers at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the new study looked at 27 girls and 20 boys, all healthy and aged between three and five years old, and assessed their screen time in terms of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations. The AAP recommendations take into account how much time children should spend in front of screens, a child's access to screens (including portable devices and content), and who children are with and how they interact when they are looking at screens.