Washington, Researchers have found “different
patterns” in brain scans among children who record heavy smart
device and video game use, according to initial data from a major
ongoing U.S. study.
The first wave of information from the $300 million National
Institute of Health (NIH) study is showing that those nine and 10-year-
old kids spending more than seven hours a day using such devices
show signs of premature thinning of the cortex, the brain’s outermost
layer that processes sensory information.
The NIH data reported on CBS also showed that kids who spend
more than two hours a day on screens score worse on language and
reasoning tests.
The study, which involves scanning the brains of 4,500 children
eventually aims to show whether screen time is addictive, but
researchers need several years to understand such long-term
outcomes.
Initial data from the study will begin to be released in early 2019.
The academy now recommends parents “avoid digital media
use except video chatting in children younger than 18 to 24 months,”
the Canadian CTV news reported.
Source: Oman News Agency