A Singapore study is offering parents a closer look at what may happen inside young children’s brains when they spend substantial time in front of screens. Researchers at NUS Medicine and A*STAR have found differences in brain activity among toddlers with varying levels of screen exposure.
The research, part of the long-term GUSTO study, followed around 500 children. At 12 months, parents reported their children’s daily screen exposure. When the children were 18 months old, researchers used electroencephalograms to examine their brain activity.
Higher screen exposure showed differences
Children who had higher daily screen exposure showed stronger theta-wave activity relative to beta waves while awake. Researchers associate beta activity with active thinking, focus and executive function, while stronger theta activity in an awake child can indicate a more passive state.
The children were assessed again at nine using tests measuring attention, memory, self-control and other executive functions. The researchers reported that greater screen exposure was associated with greater difficulties in attention and executive functioning.
The findings add to research examining possible links between heavy screen use and differences in children’s brain development, cognition and behaviour. However, the study shows an association rather than proving that screen exposure alone causes these changes.
Parents can strengthen real-world connections
Researchers emphasise that reducing passive screen exposure does not mean removing technology completely. For young children, talking, playing and reading together can provide valuable opportunities for interaction.
These back-and-forth exchanges, sometimes called “serve and return”, help children develop early language and social connections. A 2024 study involving children from the same research programme also found that consistent parent-child reading could help counter some neurological effects associated with early screen exposure.
The message for families is simple: alongside managing screen time, making space for conversation, play and shared reading can give a developing child the human interaction needed for learning and emotional growth.