Summary: New longitudinal research tracking children for more than a decade links high screen exposure before age two with earlier-than-normal maturation of certain brain networks, slower decision-making in childhood, and higher anxiety symptoms by adolescence. Infants with greater screen time showed premature specialization in networks involved in visual processing and cognitive control, which later reduced mental flexibility during thinking tasks.
These developmental changes were associated with longer reaction times at age eight and increased anxiety at age thirteen. The study highlights infancy as a uniquely sensitive period for brain development — a time when screens may shape neural pathways in ways that become apparent years later.
Key Facts:
- Sensitive period: Screen exposure before age two, but not at ages three or four, predicted long-term differences in brain development.
- Altered brain networks: High infant screen time was associated with accelerated but less efficient maturation of visual and cognitive-control networks.
- Later effects: These brain differences predicted slower decision-making at age 8.5 and more anxiety symptoms by age 13.
Source: ASTAR
Overview
Researchers from A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine analysed data from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort to examine links between infant screen time and later brain and mental health outcomes. The study, published in eBioMedicine, followed the same children over more than ten years and used repeated brain imaging to trace a potential biological pathway from early screen exposure to adolescent anxiety.
Focusing on the first two years of life, when neural development is most rapid, the authors emphasize that parental and caregiver practices largely determine infant screen exposure and therefore represent a window for early guidance and intervention.
Infant screen exposure: why the first two years matter
The study included 168 children from the GUSTO cohort with measures of average daily screen time in infancy (ages 1–2), diffusion MRI scans at ages 4.5, 6.0 and 7.5 years, decision-making performance on the Cambridge Gambling Task at 8.5 years, and anxiety symptoms assessed at 13 years. By modelling developmental slopes of brain network integration across multiple time points rather than relying on a single scan, the team could detect patterns of accelerated or delayed maturation.
Children with higher infant screen time showed a steeper, earlier specialization of networks that support visual processing and cognitive control. The authors suggest this pattern may reflect intense sensory stimulation from screens prompting rapid but premature network specialization. Crucially, screen use measured at ages three and four did not predict the same changes, underscoring that infancy appears to be a particularly vulnerable period.
“Accelerated maturation occurs when brain networks become specialized faster than expected, often in response to environmental inputs,” said Dr Huang Pei, the study’s first author. “When visual and cognitive-control networks specialize early, they may do so before the efficient connections needed for complex, flexible thinking are fully established. That can reduce cognitive flexibility and resilience later in life.”
This premature specialization was linked to measurable effects: children with these altered network trajectories showed longer deliberation times on decision-making tasks at age 8.5. Longer deliberation was then associated with higher self-reported anxiety at age 13. Together, these observations support a serial pathway from infant screen exposure to altered brain development, to slower decision-making, and finally to greater adolescent anxiety.
How parent-child reading can counteract effects
In related work published in Psychological Medicine, the research team found that frequent parent-child reading at age three weakened the association between infant screen time and altered brain-network development. Shared reading provides interactive, language-rich, and emotionally engaging experiences that passive screen viewing typically lacks, and these benefits appear to offset some of the neural differences linked to early screen exposure.
“The findings provide a biological explanation for why limiting screen time during the first two years is important,” said Asst Prof Tan Ai Peng, Principal Investigator at A*STAR IHDP and the study’s senior author. “They also reinforce the value of parental engagement—activities like reading together can make a meaningful difference to a child’s developing brain.”
The research involved collaborators from the National University Hospital of Singapore, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and McGill University. These results offer evidence to inform early childhood policy and parenting guidance aimed at supporting healthy neurodevelopment.
Funding and disclosures
The authors report support from multiple funders, including the Singapore National Research Foundation, the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the Hope for Depression Research Foundation (USA), the Toxic Stress Network of the JPB Foundation (USA), and the Jacobs Foundation (Switzerland). One author noted unrelated grant support and unpaid roles in charitable organisations; all other authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Key Questions Answered
A: It is associated with accelerated specialization of visual and cognitive-control networks before optimal connectivity is established, which may reduce later cognitive flexibility.
A: No. Only screen exposure during the first two years predicted the altered brain network development and subsequent mental health outcomes reported in this study.
A: Yes. Frequent shared reading at age three attenuated the brain-network alterations associated with early screen exposure, suggesting a protective effect.
Editorial Notes
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- The journal paper was reviewed in full by staff.
- Additional context was added to summarise implications for parents and policymakers.
About this neurodevelopment and mental health research news
Author: Owen Sia
Source: ASTAR
Contact: Owen Sia – ASTAR
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: “Neurobehavioural Links from Infant Screen Time to Anxiety” by Huang Pei et al., published in eBioMedicine (open access).
Abstract
Neurobehavioural Links from Infant Screen Time to Anxiety
Background
Infant screen time has been associated with various negative outcomes, including anxiety, but the neurobiological pathways are understudied. This study evaluated directional associations between infant screen time, the development of brain network topology, decision-making behaviour, and adolescent anxiety symptoms.
Methods
Using data from the GUSTO cohort, the authors analysed total daily infant screen time and its associations with developmental changes in network integration across seven major cortical networks measured with diffusion MRI at ages 4.5, 6.0 and 7.5. They assessed decision-making using the Cambridge Gambling Task at age 8.5 and anxiety using the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) at age 13. Developmental slopes of network integration were modelled with latent growth approaches, and structural equation modelling tested pathways linking early screen time to later anxiety via brain development and decision-making.
Findings
Higher infant screen time predicted a steeper decline in integration of visual-cognitive control networks between ages 4.5 and 7.5 (β = −1.03 (−1.61, −0.46)), which mediated longer deliberation time on the Cambridge Gambling Task at 8.5. Longer deliberation time was associated with increased anxiety at 13. A full serial mediation linking infant screen time to adolescent anxiety via accelerated brain network maturation and altered decision-making was statistically significant (β = 0.033 (0.002, 0.160)).
Interpretation
Higher infant screen time is associated with accelerated topological maturation of visual and cognitive-control networks, which appears to lead to prolonged decision latency and higher adolescent anxiety. Disruptions in sensory processing may underlie this pathway, suggesting a potential target for early intervention focused on enriching caregiver–child interaction and limiting passive screen exposure during infancy.
Funding
This research was supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation, the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council, the Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR), the Hope for Depression Research Foundation (USA), the Toxic Stress Network of the JPB Foundation (USA), and the Jacobs Foundation (Switzerland).