A study reveals that children who spend less than an hour every day on iPads and other electronic devices have superior brains to their peers.
Researchers in Illinois discovered that two-year-olds whose daily screen use was limited to 60 minutes and who engaged in conventional play for at least 15 minutes showed superior executive function compared to toddlers who spent more time on electronics.
In terms of memory, attention span, decision-making, and multitasking, they outperformed their classmates.
It is believed that playing outside or with conventional toys flushes the brain with blood, expanding blood vessels and strengthening neuron connections, so making cognitive development easier for youngsters.
Staring at electronic devices, on the other hand, does not excite the brain and is believed to reduce the thickness of the brain’s cortex, which is responsible for critical thinking and reasoning.
According to data, toddlers in the United States spend an average of two and a half hours each day watching television, using iPads, mobile phones, or playing video games.
Ofcom believes that three- to four-year-olds in the United Kingdom spend three hours per day watching screens.
During the pandemic, when homeschooling and lockdowns were frequent, it is believed that children’s screen time increased considerably.
In their most recent study, researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign analyzed information on 356 toddlers from around the United States.
Parents recorded their children’s screen time and food in one-time surveys and reported daily on their children’s physical activity.
They were also asked to evaluate their child’s memory, ability to plan and arrange their thoughts, emotional control, ability to resist impulsive conduct, and ability to switch between tasks.
This was accomplished utilizing the behavioral rating inventory for executive function in preschoolers, a 63-question survey in which parents rated the frequency with which their toddler showed various common activities.
Toddlers that were exposed to electronic media for less than one hour each day had considerably improved memory, impulse control, and executive function overall.
Children who were at least 15 minutes more physically active per day scored higher on memory recall tests.
Diet, exercise, and screen time play crucial roles in cognitive development and rapid brain growth throughout the toddler years, according to studies.
Professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and study leader Naiman Khan stated, “Executive function supports your ability to engage in goal-directed actions.
It includes abilities such as inhibitory control, which allows you to regulate your thoughts, emotions, and behavior; working memory, which allows you to retain information long enough to complete a task; and cognitive flexibility, your ability to switch your attention between tasks or competing demands.
The influence of healthy habits on cognitive capacities appears to be evident in early childhood, particularly for behaviors involving physical exercise and sedentary time, he added.
The findings were published in the Pediatrics journal.
Less than 60 minutes of screen usage per day is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for children ages two to five.
In addition, they recommend daily physical activity, five portions of fruits and vegetables, and abstinence from sugar-sweetened beverages.
