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The US National Institute of Health has detected significant differences in 4,500 infants who spent more than seven hours a day on their cell phones, tablets and video games.
The brains of children who spend too much time in front of screens of smart devices or video games seems to be changing, according to a study by the US National Institute of Health (NIH) revealed by the CBS network.
In 21 research centers in the United States, the NIH began examining the brains of 4,500 9- and 10-year-olds to find out whether heavy use of video games and time spent on the Internet were affecting their development. .
The first results of this study with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) show significant differences in the brains of children who use smartphones, tablets and video games more than seven hours a day, explained the group. one of the researchers, Gaya Dowling, on the program. "60 minutes".
The images showed premature thinning of the cerebral cortex, which processes the information transmitted to the brain by the five senses.
"Thinning of the cortex" is considered an aging process, "said the scientist, noting that it was not clear if this process is harmful. "We still do not know if it's because of the time spent in front of the screens or if it's a bad thing," he said.
According to another scientist interviewed as part of the program, Kara Bagot, smartphones can have an addictive effect because the time spent in front of a screen stimulates the release of dopamine, the pleasure hormone.
NIH data showed that children who spent more than two hours a day on screens were subjected to more difficult language and reasoning tests.
For the research, 11,000 children were examined, who will be followed for several years to study the impact of displays on their intellectual and social development, as well as their health.
The results will begin to be published early in 2019.
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