At a time when there is much debate about the risks of technology to children's health, a new Finnish study breaks with the familiar rules and presents an unexpected result that may change many people's view of their children's relationship with screens.
Research conducted by the University of Jyväskylä revealed that children who spent more time in front of screens during their developmental stages showed better cognitive abilities in adolescence compared to their less-used peers, which overturns the equation that has been established in the minds of many that screens are an enemy of the developing brain.
These results did not come out of nowhere, but are the fruit of a careful follow-up that lasted eight years and included 124 girls and 136 boys, with an average age of 15.5 years, where researchers tracked their patterns of physical activity, sedentary behavior and use of screens from early childhood, and compared them with accurate tests that measured their abilities to learn, pay attention and working memory, which are basic brain functions that determine the extent of an individual’s success in education and future working life.
The results surprised the scientific team itself. While it was expected that physical activity would be linked to improved cognitive performance, which did happen but in a complex way, the positive correlation between screen time and cognitive performance opened up a wide range of questions about the nature of the relationship between technology and the developing mind.
The researchers believe that the secret may not be in the amount of time a child spends in front of a screen, but rather in the type of activity they engage in during that time. Educational games, interactive videos, and applications that stimulate problem-solving and creative thinking may be crucial factors in transforming screen time from mere entertainment into a tool that supports cognitive development.
Dr. Pietro Yalanco, the study's lead researcher, explains this point: "We shouldn't view screen time solely as harmful, but rather strive for a balance between physical activity and screen time that fosters active thinking and creativity." He adds that teachers and parents should shift their focus from combating screen time to guiding children toward using it in ways that benefit their minds; quality is more important than quantity.
As for physical activity, the picture was more complex than the researchers expected. Clear differences emerged between boys and girls. It was found that girls who had engaged in light physical activity since childhood had better working memory in adolescence, while boys benefited more from directed and supervised activities such as group exercises and organized sports.
In another paradox, low levels of unsupervised exercise were associated with improved cognitive performance, suggesting that the type of physical activity and how it is done may be more influential than its quantity or duration.
However, the researchers are careful to emphasize that their findings are statistical correlations, not proven causal relationships. In other words, they cannot definitively say that screens are the direct cause of improved cognitive performance, or that specific types of physical activity necessarily lead to these results. Therefore, they call for further interventional studies that closely follow participants and attempt to understand the neural mechanisms underlying these correlations, with a particular focus on gender differences and the impact of exercise intensity on cognitive changes.
Amid growing global concern about declining physical activity among children and adolescents, which has been linked to lower academic achievement and multiple health problems, this study offers a new and more balanced perspective. Instead of viewing screen time as an enemy to be fought, it may be more beneficial to direct it towards activities that stimulate the mind, while maintaining sufficient movement and physical activity appropriate to the needs of each gender.
These results were published in the scientific journal Pediatric Exercise Science.
