Kids 'could end up with smaller brains' after constantly spending time in front of household staple

Youngsters glued to TV screens could end up with smaller brains and lower intelligence, scientists say. Parents are being warned to limit children's screen time after a study found children who watched television and used smartphones, tablets and computers, had lower IQs.

While children who exercised in their spare time were likely to be more intelligent and had a larger brain volume, according to the research.

“Although certain digital activities (educational games) may yield cognitive benefits, overall evidence indicates that excessive passive and multitasking screen behaviours undermine cognitive development,” the study in the journal Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, said.

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The study used databases from across Europe that contained information from thousands of children on IQ, screen use and physical exercise.

They analysed the data to find the link between leisure time habits, intelligence and intracranial volume (ICV) - a marker for brain size. Larger ICV has been linked to superior intelligence.

Children's screen time use has rocketed in recent years with the average amount of time British children aged five to 15 spend on screens rising from nine hours a week in 2009 to 15 hours a week in 2018.

According to the World Health Organization, children need to sit less and play more. They believe there should be no screen time for children under one year of age.

For those aged two years, screen time should be no more than one hour a day and “less is better”. The researchers looking at the IQ link, who are based in China, said their results provide further evidence that excessive screen time has a lifelong impact on children's brain development.

“These findings highlight the critical need to manage and regulate children's media use while also promoting increased physical activity,' they wrote in the journal Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.

While there can be benefits, including building friendships and improving learning, negative effects include online bullying, exposure to violence and pornography, lower levels of physical activity and eye strain.

Sir Cary Cooper, a psychology professor at the University of Manchester, told the Mail on Sunday: "Children are using these devices and they are not learning social and non-verbal skills that we pick up from interacting, face-to-face, with other people."

The NHS suggests no screen time, except for video calling caregivers and family for babies, while they say there should be a limit of one hour a day for those aged two to five.

For school children aged six to 12 years they say up to two hours of screen time per day and for teenagers aged 13 plus, no more than two hours per day.

The NHS advice is: “Limit the amount of time your child spends on inactive pastimes such as watching television, playing video games and playing on electronic devices.

“There's no hard and fast advice on how much is too much, but experts say children should have no more than 2 hours of screen time each day.

“And remove all screens (including mobile phones) from their bedroom at night.”