Infant brains and screen time don't mix

Whether it’s somewhere like a supermarket or department store, we’ve all seen it. A small child in their stroller or a cart, their glazed eyes fixated on a smartphone or tablet; the modern-day pacifier. I’m not judging; getting the grocery shopping done is far easier when a child isn’t crying or being unruly.

Plenty has been written about the negative impacts screens and social media have on society, especially adolescents. But what happens to the brain of an infant (younger than 2) when exposed to hours of screen time?

Researchers followed 168 children for over a decade. MRI scans revealed the brains of those who were raised on screens displayed faster development of neural networks involved in visual processing and cognitive control. That sounds like a good thing, right?

This accelerated maturation outpaced the development of other necessary neural connections. This resulted in slower decision-making in childhood and increased anxiety symptoms in adolescence.

Infants in the study were averaging more than 1-2 hours of daily screen time. The World Health Organization recommends that children aged 1 and younger have no screen exposure, and a maximum of one hour per day for 2-year-olds.

So, can anything be done? The researchers recommend that parents read books to their young kids frequently. Healthy brain development, language skills, and emotional management are benefits that come from engaging children through books and asking them questions about the stories.

Learn more about the study’s findings in this article from The Register:
https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/30/ipad_kids_are_more_anxious/