Tiempo en pantalla y actividades deportivas y recreativas en adolescentes. Efectos en las funciones ejecutivas y en el rendimiento académico

Abstract

Objective: To examine how screen-based activities (i.e., videogame use, social media, and television habits) and sports activities impact executive functions (EF) and academic achievement in adolescents, and to analyze the factorial structure of the Teenage Executive Functioning Inventory (TEXI, Thorell et al., 2020) parent, and self-report forms. Method: The sample included 157 adolescents aged 12 to 17 and their parents, who completed questionnaires measuring the frequency of screen activities and EF. Additionally, students' academic achievement in mathematics, language, and English was obtained from schools. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), multi-variate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and Pearson's correlation were employed. The CFA indicated acceptable fit for the two-dimensional structure of EF (i.e., working memory and inhibition). Results: The results of MANOVA indicated that videogame use had a positive impact on working memory while social media use was linked to greater difficulties in executive skills. Additionally, adolescents who participated in more sports activities exhibited superior EF skills. No significant TV use effects on EF were found. Lastly, only executive skills showed a weak association with academic achievement. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that moderating videogame use and encouraging physical activity can support optimal cognitive development in adolescents.