ReviewChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2024
Digital Device Usage and Childhood Cognitive Development: Exploring Effects on Cognitive Abilities.
Review in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The impact of touchscreen digital exposure on children's social development and communication: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- From digital escape to memory impairment: The mediating role of digital dementia in the effect of digital fugue on digital amnesia.Psychology and psychotherapy · 2026Article
- Digital Compensation? Investigating the Moderating Role of the Home Learning Environment in the Effectiveness of Learning Apps.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Science Is About Thinking: How Can We Protect Thinking Time in a Distracted Digital World?Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Executive Functioning as a Mediator Between Digital Media Exposure and Communication Outcomes in Children and Adolescents.Journal of Intelligence · 2026Article
- Unfiltered Access, Unseen Harms: A Developmental and Public Health Critique of Digital Rights Discourse.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Review
- The Effects of Physical Therapy in the Rehabilitation of Motor Delays in Children with Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Privacy rights versus surveillance, challenges of sex education in the digital age: an exploratory qualitative study in Indonesia.BMC public health · 2026Article
- The validity, reliability, and psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Digital Amnesia Scale.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- The association between adolescents' recreational screen exposure and academic performance and its mediating mechanisms.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Using natural language processing to support digital communication in adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder.PloS one · 2026Article
- Academic AI overreliance scale: development and preliminary psychometric validation in health sciences university students.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Article
- Screen time, smartphone addiction, and executive-motor function in Tunisian middle school students.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Associations Between Screen Time, Sleep, and Executive Function in School-Aged Children and Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Digital Content and Age.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Pediatrics advances in 2024: choices in allergy, cardiology, critical care, endocrinology, gastroenterology, immunology, infectious diseases, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, nutrition, palliative care respiratory tract illnesses, and social media.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2025Review
- Digital Health in Early Childhood: A Cross-Sectional Study of Pediatricians' Knowledge, Practices, and Training Needs in Northern Italy.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Use of Technological Devices in Children Aged 3-11 Years: Possible Effects on Sleep and Behavioral Difficulties.Pediatric reports · 2025Article
- Social Media Engagement and Usage Patterns, Mental Health Comorbidities, and Empathic Measures in an Italian Adolescent Sample: A Comparative Study.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Biomimetic Strategies for Nutraceutical Delivery: Advances in Bionanomedicine for Enhanced Nutritional Health.Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on learning outcomes in early childhood and primary education: a meta-analysis of moderating factors.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The increasing ubiquity of digital devices in childhood had outpaced the understanding of their effects on cognitive development, creating a significant research gap regarding their long-term impact.
objectiveThe present narrative overview explored the complex relationship between digital device usage and cognitive development in childhood.
methodsWe conducted a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science, to critically assess cognitive domains such as attention, memory, executive functions, problem-solving skills, and social cognition. Incorporating over 157 peer-reviewed studies published between 2001 and 2024, we used strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure scientific rigor.
resultsThe review integrated empirical findings with established theoretical frameworks, particularly from cognitive development and media psychology, to highlight both the advantages and risks of early, frequent exposure to technology. The potential for digital devices to enhance cognitive skills, such as multitasking and information processing, was weighed against risks such as cognitive overload, diminished attention spans, and impaired social skills. We also examined psychological and behavioral outcomes, including identity formation, emotional regulation, and maladaptive behaviors associated with excessive screen time. Additionally, we identified strategies to mitigate negative effects, emphasizing structured digital engagement and parental involvement to support healthy cognitive and psychological growth. Our findings provided actionable recommendations for parents, educators, and policymakers, promoting optimal digital practices that enhanced cognitive development while safeguarding against potential harms.
conclusionsThe review offered essential insights for stakeholders in child development, education, and policy-making, highlighting the need for balanced integration of digital tools in childhood learning environments.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.