Early screen exposure in infancy may steer brain development in ways linked to higher anxiety later in life. Digest
Screen use has become common, even in infancy, yet little is known about how it might influence brain development years later. To address this gap, researchers conducted a longitudinal study to explore how early screen exposure shapes later aspects of mental health.
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The study followed 168 children in Singapore from infancy into their teenage years. Parents reported how much time their children typically spent using screens at ages 1 and 2. As the children grew, researchers tracked their brain development using diffusion MRI, a type of brain scan that estimates structural connections between brain regions, at ages 4.5, 6.0, and 7.5. At age 8.5, the children completed a computer-based task that measures several aspects of decision-making, including how people respond to risk and how long they take before making a choice.
- More screen time in infancy aligned with a specific pattern of brain development that was linked to slower decision timing, which in turn was associated with higher anxiety symptoms in adolescence.
- Although the researchers examined multiple brain networks, the association with infant screen time emerged only for the connection between the visual network (involved in processing visual information) and the cognitive control network (involved in things like planning, attention, and self-control).
- Higher infant screen time was associated with a faster drop in "integration" between these two networks from ages 4.5 to 7.5. Higher integration means that these two brain systems tend to work more closely together, while a drop in integration reflects the brain gradually separating their roles as it matures.
- This faster decline in integration appeared to bridge the link between early screen exposure and longer decision times, helping explain why some children took longer before making a choice. Other aspects of their decision-making, such as how accurate or risk-taking they were, did not show the same relationship.
In early childhood, brain networks are still maturing and becoming more specialized in how they interact with one another. Heavy screen exposure early in life may overwhelm developing sensory systems, potentially influencing how visual information is processed as the brain matures. Altered sensory processing may be one pathway linking these brain changes to slower decision-making and higher anxiety later on. Some effects of screen exposure may also operate indirectly, for example by reducing opportunities for parent–child interaction during early development.
The observational design limits causal conclusions. Screen use was parent-reported without detail on content or context, and factors such as sleep, family history, and parent–child interaction were not fully captured. While not definitive, the results underscore early childhood as a sensitive window during which everyday experiences, including screen use, can have lasting developmental effects. In Aliquot #125, Dr. Andrew Huberman and I examine digital engagement, share strategies for managing technology use, and highlight the importance of boundaries for mental health and personal growth.