What Science Says about Kids and Tech

Are touch screens rotting the brains of our youth? New research is finding some answers

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In my I noted that it’s typically older people who seem to disapprove of the younger ones' immersion in electronics. Of course that's a typical generational reaction; it used to be the radio that would rot young people’s brains…then TV…and now phones and tablets.

But what does say about the effect of touch-screen devices on children?

Not much; the touch-screen era is still very young. But a handful of studies investigating intensive device use have emerged, including the ones summarized here. Most seem to suggest that moderation in screen time is a good idea, although some point out benefits. Here are more details about what they found—and how:

: Cognitive control in media multitaskersSubjects: 262 college students

: Adolescents' use of instant messaging as a means of emotional reliefSubjects: 150 adolescents

: Do television and electronic games predict children's psychosocial adjustment?Subjects: 11,014 British five- and seven-year-olds

Study (): Parents' perspectives: Children's use of technology in the early yearsSubjects: 1,028 parents

: Five days at outdoor education camp without screens improves preteen skills with nonverbal emotion cuesSubjects: 105 preteens

: Sleep Duration, Restfulness and Screens in the Sleep EnvironmentSubjects: 2,048 fourth- and seventh-graders

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