{"id":223236,"date":"2025-06-29T05:54:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T05:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/223236\/"},"modified":"2025-06-29T05:54:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T05:54:12","slug":"parents-warned-to-limit-their-childrens-screen-time-as-research-finds-youngsters-glued-to-smartphones-and-tablets-have-smaller-brains-and-lower-iqs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/223236\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents warned to limit their children’s screen time, as research finds youngsters glued to smartphones and tablets have smaller brains and lower IQs"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ROGER DOBSON <\/p>\n

Published: 20:46 EDT, 28 June 2025 | Updated: 21:50 EDT, 28 June 2025 <\/p>\n

Parents are being warned to limit children’s screen time after a study found it could lead to them having smaller brains and lower intelligence.<\/p>\n

Scientists found children who watched television and used smartphones, tablets and computers had, on average, lower IQs and less intracranial volume (ICV) \u2013 a marker for brain size.<\/p>\n

In contrast, children who exercised in their spare time were likely to be more intelligent and had a larger brain volume, according to the research.<\/p>\n

The study used databases from across Europe that contained information from thousands of children on IQ, screen use and physical exercise.<\/p>\n

This was analysed to establish whether there was any link between leisure time habits, intelligence and ICV \u2013 the total space within the skull which is used as a proxy for the maximum size of the brain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Larger ICV has been linked to superior intelligence.<\/p>\n

The researchers, based in China<\/a>, say their results provide further evidence that excessive screen time has a lifelong impact on children’s brain development.<\/p>\n

‘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.<\/p>\n

\"Parents <\/p>\n

Parents are being warned to limit children’s screen time after a study found it could lead to them having smaller brains and lower intelligence<\/p>\n

\"Scientists <\/p>\n

Scientists found children who watched television and used smartphones, tablets and computers had, on average, lower IQs and less intracranial volume (ICV) \u2013 a marker for brain size<\/p>\n

The study comes as children’s screen time use has rocketed in recent years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The average amount of time British children aged five to 15 spend on screens rose from nine hours a week in 2009 to 15 hours a week in 2018, according to a House of Commons education committee report from last year.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Sir Cary Cooper, a psychology professor at the University of Manchester, said: ‘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.’<\/p>\n

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