Social media usage linked to poor scores in reading & memory tests

Pre-teens addicted to social media perform poorly in reading, vocabulary and memory tests compared with peers who use little or no social media, says a new study published in JAMA (October). While previous research has focused on the impact of social media on children’s mental health, “it’s critical to understand how social media use during school hours specifically affects learning, especially as so many schools are considering phone bans now,” says study author and pediatrician Jason Nagata of the University of California (USA).

Nagata and his team used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which surveyed over 6,000 pre-teens through early adolescence to record their social media usage. Researchers divided children into three groups based on their patterns of social media use with all groups given a range of tests to measure their cognitive capabilities.

“What was surprising was that even low social media users performed on average 1-2 points lower on the reading and memory tasks compared to the non-social media users while the high social media users group performed 4-5 points lower than the non-social media users,” says Nagata.

Plastic exposure in childhood raises long-term health risks

Childhood exposure to chemicals used to manufacture plastic household goods prompts long-term health risks, say experts from NYU Langone Health, a premier US academic medical centre, in a report published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health (September).

In their report, the authors present decades of evidence that substances added to industrial and household goods contribute to disease and disability. Chemicals often used in plastic household goods include phthalates (used to make plastic flexible), bisphenols (to provide rigidity), and perfluoroalkyl substances (which help materials resist heat and repel water). The studies under review, which assessed thousands of pregnant mothers, foetuses, and children, linked these chemicals/toxins to a wide range of long-term health problems. “Our findings point to plastic’s role in the early origins of chronic diseases including heart disease, obesity, infertility, and asthma, that reverberate into adolescence and adulthood. If we want children to stay healthy and live longer, then we need to get serious about limiting the use of these materials,” says study lead author and pediatrician Leonardo Trasande.

Mother’s selfie obsession influences child’s self-image

A mother’s frequent engagement with taking, editing, and posting smartphone ‘selfies’ indirectly heightens her children’s interest in cosmetic surgery, says a study published in the Journal of Health Psychology (October).

The study led by Lijuan Xiao of Xi’an Jiaotong University found that mothers’ selfie obsession affected adolescent children’s selfie habits, tendency to monitor physical attributes, and assessment of facial features. The study was prompted by the rising popularity of cosmetic surgery among Chinese youth.

Online gaming puts children’s health at risk

Early exposure to online gaming has a negative developmental impact on young children, says a recent report of the Delhi-based CyberPeace Foundation, a non-profit civil society initiative and think tank. The report highlights that systematic policy intervention is required to safeguard children from the risks of addiction and exploitation.

It cites previous studies, such as the PEACH project (Personal and Environmental Associations with Children’s Health), a longitudinal observational study, that have shown that children with longer screen time have higher body mass index (BMI) and are more likely to become overweight. Excessive gaming promotes a sedentary lifestyle, leading to obesity and related health problems. Moreover, the report highlights that incessant gaming can cause repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and disrupt sleep patterns.

CyberPeace Foundation recommends several measures to reduce these risks. It calls for clear methodologies for age verification, content regulation with clear guidelines for violence, sexuality, and mature themes, noting that India lacks an equivalent of the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) for content benchmarking.