Screen time is being shown to cause detrimental brain changes in children, which could be hurting their memory, perception, and cognitive ability.
Children who use screens for seven hours or more a day showed signs of early thinning of their brain cortex, according to early findings of a decade-long $300 million Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, or ABCD study, by the National Institutes of Health.
News Center 7's Consumer Reporter Rachel Murray has the new findings and recommendations for parents.
“It definitely makes me want to try to cut back on it more with our toddler,” said Kate Swisher of Huber Heights.
Gregory Ramey, the Executive Director for Pediatric Mental Health Resources at Dayton Children’s says, “It’s the first research that indicates that there actually could be physiological brain changes as a result of excessive screen time, but even if it turn out not to be true, we know enough about the psychological risks of excessive screen time that we ought to be intervening now.”
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Ramey says it depends on the child, but offers these screen time guidelines.
“Avoid either extreme, don’t prohibit it but don’t assume that kids can manage technology by themselves, most kids can’t. They need guidelines from parents and they need us parents presenting an amazing role model for how to manage technology and don’t let technology control us,” he said.
Research also shows that as screen time usage increases, rates of depression and loneliness also increase in both children and adults.