Early Screen Exposure and Long-Term Effects on Cognitive and Mental Health Outcomes

A new study using Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort data shows that high screen exposure before age two is linked to slower cognitive processing and greater adolescent anxiety.

The study followed a prospective birth cohort from infancy into adolescence with repeated measures of screen exposure, neurodevelopmental assessments, and brain imaging. The analysis included 168 children with imaging at approximately ages 4.5, 6, and 7.5 years and behavioral follow-up into the early teens.

Higher infant screen time correlated with slower decision-making on cognitive tasks in mid-childhood and with higher anxiety symptoms by adolescence. Imaging findings pointed to accelerated maturation and altered connectivity within visual and cognitive-control networks as possible neural correlates.

Practical recommendations center on limiting unsupervised screen exposure before age two and prioritizing parent-child interactive activities like shared reading, dialogic play, and responsive caregiving.

These cohort data support adding early screen exposure history to developmental surveillance and considering earlier behavioral screening or follow-up for children with high infant exposure.

Key Takeaways:

• The GUSTO cohort links high screen exposure before age two to slower cognitive processing and higher adolescent anxiety.
• Integrating early screen exposure history into developmental surveillance and offering parent-child enrichment strategies are potential risk-mitigating options.