Scientists tracked kids for 8 years — the screen time result was unexpected
An eight-year Finnish study found that children who spent more time on screens tended to show better cognitive processing as teenagers, challenging common assumptions about screen use. Researchers say the key may be balancing physical activity with screen activities that encourage learning, creativity, and active thinking.
A Finnish study tracking children for eight years found an unexpected link between screen time and better cognitive processing in adolescence. Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä examined how physical activity, sedentary behavior, and screen time from childhood through adolescence affected cognitive processing in teens. Greater screen time in childhood was associated with improved cognitive processing later on.
However, the type of screen activity may be crucial; digital activities that involve learning, creativity, problem-solving, or other forms of active mental engagement could help explain this association. Physical activity showed varied links between girls and boys; for girls, more light-intensity physical activity since childhood was tied to better working memory in adolescence, while boys with more guided physical activity showed the same pattern.
An unexpected finding was that lower levels of unsupervised physical activity were associated with better cognitive processing in girls, though overall physical activity and sedentary time measured by heart rate and movement devices did not correlate with cognitive performance. The researchers caution that these sensor readings can't determine the specific activities during those periods.
They emphasize that the connections between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cognitive processing are complex and depend on factors like sex, type, and assessment method of the activity and sedentary time. The study, part of the PANIC study on children's physical activity and nutrition, involved 124 girls and 136 boys with an average age of 15.8 years.
The researchers measured physical activity and sedentary behavior through surveys and a device combining heart rate and movement measurements. They evaluated learning, attention, and working memory using the CogState test battery. The findings, published in Pediatric Exercise Science, suggest that the effects of screen time and physical activity on cognitive development are not fully understood and warrant further research, including intervention studies to determine causal relationships and sex differences.
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