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MRI of adolescent brain activated during a memory task in
the NIH study. Credit: Dr. Richard Watts and ABCD/Univ. of VT P.I. Dr. Hugh
Garavan.
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Findings in a study by the National Institutes of Health
offer an unexpected challenge to the common-sense notion that all time children
spend in front of a screen is equally harmful. The study affirms that
children’s consumption of general media, such as Internet, television, and
video games, correlates with worse sleep and more family conflict. However, the
data also indicates a correlation between greater use of social media, such as
texting or scrolling through Instagram posts, with positive effects, such as
increased physical activity, less family conflict, and fewer sleep problems.
These findings are part of 30 terabytes of data released by the NIH with regard
to the first 45 out of a total of 75 youth and their families who participated
in the massive brain development study.
Read more about this specific aspect of the study on NPR.
Read more about the overall study at NIH