Tangentially related, this brought to mind the study that showed a reduction in myelination in young children who were exposed to "excessive" screen time. [0]
[0] https://neurosciencenews.com/screen-time-brain-changes-15161...
[0] https://neurosciencenews.com/screen-time-brain-changes-15161...
That always stuck with me, as it could potentially mean on a higher level that learning itself is a skill that can and needs to be exercised regularly. I'm wondering if that could also explain the decline in neuroplasticity with age. Would love to hear if anyone knows about some newer research in that area!
>> Higher ScreenQ scores were associated with lower brain white matter integrity, which affects organization and myelination — the process of forming a myelin sheath around a nerve to allow nerve impulses to move more quickly – in tracts involving language executive function and other literacy skills.
But doesn't this have to do with what you're doing? The article only mentions screen, but that could be a TV or endless YouTube where there's only 'consumption' happening, in contrast with playing either strategy based games or even taking part in online classes where interaction is important, where a large amount of 'cognitive skills' are also being utilized.
It also controls for family income and age but not cognitive scores prior to screen exposure. It could also be that kids starting with “less integrated” brains find more active tasks less engaging and end up watching more screens as a result.
I don’t let my toddler spend much time on screens aside from FaceTime and the odd episode of Tik Tak[1] while we’re cutting her nails. These studies’ data are often presented as simplistic linear regressions suggesting that like lead, there is no safe exposure to screens, when it’s just as likely that a small exposure that doesn’t get in the way of a lot of other activities is helpful and helps kids feel comfortable and less confused in our modern screen-filled world.
Anyway, I just needed to get that off my chest because I see too many families get overly stressed and paranoid by the AAP guidelines which are speculative at best.
[1] Your toddler’s favourite Belgian animation show. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_yPvRyfdJlw