An eight-year Finnish study found an association between screen time measured since childhood and cognitive performance in adolescence. The result is surprising, but the researchers stress that it does not prove causation and does not mean that every kind of screen activity is equally beneficial.

Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Eastern Finland analysed data from the PANIC study. The project followed 260 young people for eight years, including 124 girls and 136 boys, with an average age of 15.8 at the end of the follow-up period.

Higher screen time was associated with faster responses, greater accuracy and stronger memory performance in some tests. This is a statistical link, however, not evidence that using a phone, computer or television automatically improves a child’s thinking skills.

What children do on a screen may matter most

The study did not separate individual activities, so it cannot show how much reading, writing, homework, gaming or passive video viewing contributed to the differences. The researchers believe active uses that demand problem-solving, creativity and learning may help explain the more favourable results.

Study researcher Petri Jalanko is therefore not simply recommending more screen time. The more useful conclusion may be that children should encounter digital tasks that make them think, decide and create instead of spending all of their time consuming content passively.

The authors also observed differences between boys and girls in the relationship between physical activity and cognitive results, although further work is needed to interpret them. The study does not recommend replacing exercise with screens: the safest conclusion remains a balance of varied digital activity, regular movement and adequate rest.

3DJuegos