A new study from Finland has found that greater screen time during childhood was associated with improved cognitive abilities during adolescence, a finding that challenges the widespread assumption that screen use is inherently harmful to children.
Researchers from the Universities of Jyväskylä and Eastern Finland tracked 260 children over an eight-year period, examining their learning abilities, attention spans, and working memory. The findings showed that children who accumulated more screen time over the years demonstrated better cognitive processing performance when they reached their teenage years.
However, the researchers caution against interpreting this as a green light for unlimited screen exposure. "The key point is probably what they are doing during their screen time," explained researcher Petri Ylänkö. He emphasized that children should be encouraged to use screens in ways that promote "active thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and learning."
"We don't need to view screen time only as something harmful," Ylänkö concluded, stressing that the goal should be finding a balance between physical activity and screen use that encourages cognitive engagement. The research team noted that additional studies are needed to determine whether screen time itself causes the improvements.
