Study links restricting screen time for kids to higher mental performance

Children who failed to meet all three criteria performed worse on thinking, language and memory tests than those who met the recommendations, according to the study. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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Parents who possess the courage to separate their young children from their smartphones may be helping their children's brainpower, a new study suggests.

Children who use smartphones and other devices in their free time for less than two hours a day performed better on cognitive tests assessing their thinking, language and memory, according to a study published last Wednesday in the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 02, 2018, with the headline Study links restricting screen time for kids to higher mental performance. Subscribe