Developmental Ramifications of the Screen Age: Uncovering Effects of Screen Time on Neural Maturation

Increased screen usage during adolescent development correlates with a complex response in the brain. Using a massive longitudinal human brain MRI dataset, we describe relationships between screen time and cellular microstructure across 13 cortical regions previously implicated in screen usage. Longitudinally, grey matter density had no relationship with screen time, and fractional anisotropy was significantly associated with screen time in only the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. However, microstructural 3T-CSD diffusion MRI metrics were significantly associated with increased screen time in 8 regions. The comparison between these results and typical age-associated development suggests potential negative implications of increased screen usage during adolescence.