This is extremely concerning “The National Institutes of Health launched the largest study of childhood brain development ever run in the entire country. The study tracked 11,878 kids across 21 sites. Each child was placed in MRI machines and allowed to scroll and watch screens, and just let the brain stuff do the brain stuff. And the results even shocked the researchers Kids with 7 or more hours of daily screen time showed premature thinning of the cortex. That's the brain's outer layer that runs the thinking, the memory, the language, including the putamen, which is the reward center, and the prefrontal cortex, which handles impulse control” Analyses using larger samples linked higher screen time to: - Smaller overall cortical volume and thinner cortex in regions tied to attention, working memory, language and executive function including prefrontal areas involved in impulse control - Reduced volume in the putamen, which is the part of the striatum reward system, with evidence that links screen time and cognitive scores. Things like executive function, processing speed and language - Associations with slightly higher ADHD-like symptoms over time in studies