Screen Time and the Developing Brain: Implications for Cognition, Mental Health, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Children and adolescents are growing up in an environment saturated with screens. Smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and social media platforms now shape how young people learn, socialize, and regulate emotion, often from the first years of life. As recreational and educational screen use continues to climb, parents, educators, clinicians, and public health authorities are asking urgent questions about what this means for the developing brain. A growing body of evidence links excessive or poorly contextualized screen exposure to changes in attention, executive function, language acquisition, sleep, and socio-emotional regulation. At the same time, screens can support learning, connection, and access to health information when used well. The picture is further complicated for children with, or at risk of, neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD and autism spectrum disorder, where screen use patterns may both reflect and reinforce underlying vulnerabilities. Disentangling cause, consequence, and context is now a core public health priority.This Research Topic aims to bring together high-quality evidence on how screen time shapes cognition, mental health, and neurodevelopment across childhood and adolescence, with a particular focus on ADHD, autism, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Past research has often relied on crude measures of screen “dose” and produced mixed findings. We want to move the field forward by foregrounding the content, context, and purpose of screen use, alongside the home, school, and community environments that shape it. We invite work that strengthens the evidence base for public health education and promotion, informs age-appropriate guidance for families and schools, and identifies modifiable targets for prevention and intervention. Contributions that examine equity, vulnerable groups, temporal trends, and the role of social media in identity and mental health during sensitive developmental windows are especially welcome. Ultimately, we hope this collection will help translate complex evidence into clear, actionable messages for practitioners, policymakers, and the public.We welcome papers addressing, but not limited to:Screen time and the structural and functional development of the brainEffects of screen time on cognition, including attention, memory, and executive functionScreen time and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and autism spectrum disorderProblematic screen use and its impact on developmental markers, including language and social skillsDifferential effects of screen content (educational, entertainment, violent, passive vs. interactive) and context of use on developmental outcomesThe role of home, school, and community environments in shaping children’s screen habitsTemporal and cross-cultural trends in child and adolescent screen useSocial media use and its influence on the developing brain, mental health, and identityPublic health interventions, education programs, and policy approaches that promote healthy screen use Topic editors: Otavio Amaral De Andrade Leao, Lina Homman Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81033/screen-time-and-the-developing-brain-implications-for-cognition-mental-health-and-neurodevelopmental-disorders