ScienceDaily: More physical activity, less screen time linked to better executive function in toddlers, study finds

“"We found that toddlers who engaged in less than 60 minutes of screen time per day had significantly greater ability to actively control their own cognition than those who spent more time staring at phones, tablets, televisions and computers," McMath said. "They had greater inhibitory control, working memory and overall executive function."

Toddlers who got daily physical activity also did significantly better on tests of working memory than those who didn't, the researchers found.

While the study found no significant relationship between the children's weight status and executive function, it suggested that "associations between health behaviors and executive function may precede observed relationships between executive function and weight status" in older children, the authors wrote.

"The influence of engaging in healthy behaviors on cognitive abilities appears to be evident in early childhood, particularly for behaviors surrounding physical activity and sedentary time," Khan said.”

Some Insights From This Article

• We can always learn from early developmental studies such as these as they give us an insight into our own minds and how our brain works in light of certain types of activities and habits that we have.

• In this article, children who spent <60 minutes of screen time daily were found to have greeted inhibitory control, working memory and executive functioning. This means that kids who were able to control their media usage were found better to control their own thought processes and cognition too.

• This concept can apply to adults as well, as more corroborating studies have shown that teens and adults find the same sort of benefit when they limit their screen usage as well. Mind you, that as we age we may use screen time for more professional and productive purposes such as work and studying. So time would be adjusted accordingly as a toddler/child using a screen has vastly different intentions than per se a working adult may have.

Are you conscious of limiting your screen time?

Full article is here!

#ScreenTime #Cognition #Mental Health