Screen time use among young children has been a popular topic in early learning circles during the past few years. Many early learning experts have expressed concern about children viewing tablet, smartphone and TV screens, especially during children’s early years when brain development is in a critical period.
A new study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, has examined the impact of screen time use on brain development in 3-5 year old children. The study’s findings, summarized in a recent CNN report, included: “Those who used screens more than the recommended one hour a day without parental involvement had lower levels of development in the brain’s white matter — an area key to the development of language, literacy and cognitive skills.”
Dr. Jenny Radesky is a pediatrician and the lead author of the American Academy of Pediatrics 2016 guidelines for screen use among children and adolescents. She noted that the new study results “are fascinating but very, very preliminary…We know that early experiences shape brain growth, and media is one of these experiences.”
For more information about this research, click here to read the full article from CNN.
