Impact of abusive screen use on childhood neurodevelopment

Abstract

The use of technology has been widely studied as an influential factor in children's learning and development; however, the neurodevelopment of early childhood goes through critical periods that are very sensitive to technological overexposure. The literature reviewed links their early and abusive use with difficulties and negative consequences on executive functioning, as well as on cognitive, linguistic, and socio-emotional areas. Consequently, a systematic review of 14 articles is presented, prepared under the PRISMA guidelines, to understand the impact of the abusive use of screens on neurotypical neurodevelopment between 0 and 12 years, especially on executive functioning. The results find significant relationships between exposure to screens and lower executive performance from 14 months to 9 years of age, especially on inhibitory control. There is a negative impact immediately, in the short and long term. Likewise, other exposure variables that affect executive performance have been identified. More experimental studies are needed to support the causality and directionality of the findings, as well as quantitative instruments that allow real-time exposure to screens to be measured more objectively.