Short-term impacts of TV viewing on executive functions in children with reading difficulties: an eye tracking study

Studies have shown that watching fantastic TV programs immediately impacts typically developing children's executive functions (EFs). TV program contents may have a different effect on children with reading difficulties (RDs) because of executive dysfunctions, which have not been studied yet. This study examined the short-term effects of fantastical and realistic TV content on visual attention and inhibitory control in children with RDs and typically developing (TD) peers, considering roles of age and behavioral/emotional problems. Forty-seven boys aged 7.5–9.5 years (23 RD, 24 TD) completed eye-tracking's anti-saccade (inhibitory control) and gap tasks (visual attention) before and immediately after viewing a fantastical or realistic TV program. Children's behavior/emotional problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as a covariate. Visual attention outcomes showed no significant differences across groups or conditions. However, significant interactions emerged between age, hyperactivity, and TV exposure, indicating that these factors influenced attention. For inhibitory control, significant decreases in accuracy were observed in the fantastical RDs and realistic TD groups, highlighting the nuanced effects of content type. The effects of TV viewing were further moderated by children's age and behavioral/emotional problems. Fantastical TV content appears to impact EFs, particularly inhibitory control, in children with RD. This suggests that processing demanding content may differentially tax already vulnerable EFs. Age and behavioral/emotional problems also significantly influence these effects, emphasizing the importance of considering individual differences in screen time research. These findings underscore the need for further research to explore the cognitive impacts of TV programs on neurodivergent children and to inform evidence-based media recommendations.