Children who had more screen exposure as infants showed faster development in brain areas linked to visual processing and self-control. This allowed them to see how brain networks developed over time rather than relying on a single scan. "Accelerated maturation happens when certain brain networks develop too fast, often in response to adversity or other stimuli," says Dr Huang Pei, the study's first author. "During normal development, brain networks gradually become more specialised over time. However, in children with high screen exposure, the networks controlling vision and cognition specialised faster, before they had developed the efficient connections needed for complex thinking.

Source: The Star February 18, 2026 13:05 UTC