An 8 Year Study Found More Screen Time Was Linked to…

An 8 Year Study Found More Screen Time Was Linked to Better Cognitive Processing in Teenagers More screen time is often assumed to be harmful for children's development. A new 8 year Finnish study challenges that assumption, at least in part, finding that greater childhood screen time was actually linked to better cognitive processing during adolescence. Why this question matters: Low levels of physical activity among adolescents remain a significant public health concern, and sedentary behaviour has previously been associated with poorer academic achievement. However, much less is known about how physical activity and sedentary behaviour during childhood and adolescence specifically relate to cognitive processing later in the teenage years, a period when the brain is still actively developing, and one that may shape lasting cognitive abilities into adulthood. The study: Researchers examined data from an 8 year follow up of the PANIC study, tracking children's physical activity and nutrition over time. The analysis included 124 girls and 136 boys, with an average age of 15.8 years at follow up. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured using both survey questionnaires and a combined heart rate and movement tracking device. Learning, a