EFisImportant t1_j7apl5u wrote on February 5, 2023 at 11:13 AM

Reply to comment by TarthenalToblakai in A new study suggests that too much screen time during infancy may lead to changes in brain activity, as well as problems with executive functioning — the ability to stay focused and control impulses, behaviors, and emotions — in elementary school. by Wagamaga

Obviously there is a lot they could be going on, but studies like that are an opening for further research. Researchers will never be able to do a RCT with the amount of TV, but it’s an interesting starting point to determine what causes some of these EF issues. By kindergarten, there are already gaps in EF based on SES. I haven’t read this study, but could tv time mediate the relation between SES and EF?

If so, now we can start to come up with interventions to see if that has any affect. Basically all childhood studies on development at not RCT bc it would be unethical to make kids do things they could mess with their development, but good studies can start to enlighten us and open doors to further studies.

TarthenalToblakai t1_j7az5cg wrote on February 5, 2023 at 1:12 PM

Oh yeah, I've no qualms with the study itself. It effectively acknowledges what I've said here, and uses the word "is associated with" as opposed to "may lead to".

As per usual, the problem is less with the study itself and more with how (in this case social) media headlines misconstrue it to put forward a simplified "pop science" narrative.