How Early Screen Time Shapes the Growing Brain and How Reading Might Help. A Singapore Perspective.
- Alastair Hunt
- Mar 31
- 6 min read
As screens become an inescapable part of modern life, their impact on children’s development is under growing scientific scrutiny. Three recent studies from Singapore provide important new insights into how screen exposure in infancy may affect cognitive and emotional development well into childhood. Using advanced tools like electroencephalography (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and behavioural assessments, researchers have mapped how screen time in early life correlates with changes in brain structure, executive function and social-emotional skills. Fortunately, they have also explored how to offset the negative effects of screen time.
As ever, please talk to your doctor or medical practitioner most familiar with your medical history before implementing any changes in diet, exercise or lifestyle, especially if you are under treatment. Links to all studies at bottom of page.
A Glimpse Inside the Developing Brain
A 2023 study published in JAMA Pediatrics tracked 437 children from infancy to age nine. The researchers found that by 12 months of age, infants were already averaging two hours of screen time per day. EEG scans conducted at 18 months revealed that higher screen time was linked with specific brainwave patterns - particularly increased theta/beta ratios in the frontocentral and parietal brain regions. These patterns are associated with diminished attentional control.
By age nine, children who had more screen time as infants performed worse on executive function tasks that assessed working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility.
The researchers determined that nearly 40% of this effect could be explained by early changes in brain activity, suggesting a significant mediation pathway. In simple terms, screen time may shape neural activity during critical early periods, with long-lasting consequences for cognitive functioning.
From Screens to Social Skills: A Deeper Look
A second study, published in Psychological Medicine in 2024, expanded this work by using MRI scans to explore how early screen use affects social-emotional development. The researchers found that screen time in infancy was associated with increased integration between brain regions responsible for emotion processing and cognitive control—two networks that typically develop at different rates in early life.
This increased integration might sound beneficial, but in developmental neuroscience it can indicate premature or atypical brain maturation. In this study, such changes predicted poorer outcomes on two key assessments: the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function Emotional Regulation Index and the Social Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales.
Children with greater screen exposure showed more emotional dysregulation and weaker social-emotional strengths by age seven.
Interestingly, the relationship was indirect. Screen time did not directly predict emotional outcomes - but it did so through changes in brain structure, again reinforcing the idea that early screen use affects development through its influence on the brain's wiring.
A Buffer Against the Screen: The Role of Reading
One of the most hopeful findings came from the same 2024 MRI study, which showed that parent–child reading had a protective effect. Children who were regularly read to at age three did not show the same changes in brain network integration, even if they had high screen time. In other words, reading time appeared to buffer or moderate the potential negative effects of early screen exposure on the brain.
Reading with a caregiver is more than a cognitive exercise - it is a rich social and emotional exchange.
It promotes language development, emotional bonding, and sustained attention, all of which counterbalance the more passive and overstimulating nature of screen time. Neuroimaging research shows that shared reading activates brain areas involved in empathy, narrative understanding, and self-regulation. These interactions also strengthen the frontal lobes - key regions involved in emotional control and decision-making. The findings reinforce long-standing recommendations from paediatric associations: start reading early, and read often. Even a few minutes of reading daily can make a meaningful difference in brain development, especially in a child’s earliest years.
What About Children with Developmental or Behavioural Challenges?
A third study, led by researchers at the National University Hospital in Singapore, looked specifically at preschoolers with developmental, behavioural, or emotional (DBE) issues, such as speech delay or autism spectrum disorder. The findings were stark: these children were exposed to even more screen time than their typically developing peers, often introduced as early as 13.8 months.
Parents reported using screens to aid with feeding and to keep children occupied - practices that may be born out of real parenting challenges but can come at a cost. Children with a history of higher screen time had more attention problems, greater aggression, and elevated behavioural concerns on the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment.
This study also found that early screen time use was inversely associated with key protective factors such as emotional control and initiative. Importantly, it suggested that guidance around screen time - especially during meals - should begin as early as pregnancy and be subsequently tailored for families managing developmental challenges. Many parents in the study introduced screens to aid feeding, particularly in children with autism or speech delays. While understandable, this habit may impact attention and emotional regulation later on.
Early advice from healthcare providers - through antenatal visits or early childhood programmes - can help parents adopt healthier routines, like interactive feeding or play-based distraction. Tailored, empathetic support empowers families to reduce screen reliance and foster more engaging, developmentally supportive interactions.
Final Thoughts
These studies offer a comprehensive and nuanced view of how screen time affects the developing brain. The evidence suggests that screen use in infancy can influence cognitive and emotional outcomes not just in the short term, but years later - often via subtle shifts in brain structure and activity. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The power of positive, real-world interactions - like reading with a child - can counterbalance some of these effects, providing a much-needed antidote to passive screen use.
Public health messaging, clinical guidance, and family support systems all have a role to play in helping parents navigate this landscape. In the end, it’s not about banning screens but about building balance - one story, one cuddle, and one conversation at a time.
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Stay Healthy,
Alastair
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Related Studies
Kiing JS, Kang YQ, Mulay KV, Lim TS, Chong SC, Tan MY, Chan YH, Lim AS, Aishworiya R. Screen time and social-emotional skills in preschoolers with developmental, behavioural or emotional issues in Singapore. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2024 Jul 24;53(7):410-419. doi: 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023384. PMID: 39132958.
Huang P, Chan SY, Ngoh ZM, Ong ZY, Low XZ, Law EC, Gluckman PD, Kee MZL, Fortier MV, Chong YS, Zhou JH, Meaney MJ, Tan AP. Screen time, brain network development and socio-emotional competence in childhood: moderation of associations by parent-child reading. Psychol Med. 2024 Jul;54(9):1992-2003. doi: 10.1017/S0033291724000084. Epub 2024 Feb 5. PMID: 38314509; PMCID: PMC11413359.
Law EC, Han MX, Lai Z, Lim S, Ong ZY, Ng V, Gabard-Durnam LJ, Wilkinson CL, Levin AR, Rifkin-Graboi A, Daniel LM, Gluckman PD, Chong YS, Meaney MJ, Nelson CA. Associations Between Infant Screen Use, Electroencephalography Markers, and Cognitive Outcomes. JAMA Pediatr. 2023 Mar 1;177(3):311-318. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.5674. PMID: 36716016; PMCID: PMC9887532.
Other
Cui J, Li L, Dong C. The associations between specific-type sedentary behaviors and cognitive flexibility in adolescents. Front Hum Neurosci. 2022 Aug 12;16:910624. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.910624. PMID: 36034120; PMCID: PMC9411862.
Mundy LK, Canterford L, Hoq M, Olds T, Moreno-Betancur M, Sawyer S, Kosola S, Patton GC. Electronic media use and academic performance in late childhood: A longitudinal study. PLoS One. 2020 Sep 2;15(9):e0237908. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237908. PMID: 32877427; PMCID: PMC7467319.
Horowitz-Kraus T, Hutton JS. Brain connectivity in children is increased by the time they spend reading books and decreased by the length of exposure to screen-based media. Acta Paediatr. 2018 Apr;107(4):685-693. doi: 10.1111/apa.14176. Epub 2017 Dec 27. PMID: 29215151.
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