Screen time is often treated as something children should avoid, but a new Finnish study suggests the picture may be more complicated.
Researchers who followed children for eight years found that those who accumulated more screen time tended to show better cognitive processing by adolescence.
The study, part of the PANIC research project, included 260 teenagers with an average age of 15.8. Researchers assessed learning, attention, and working memory, while also tracking physical activity, sedentary behavior, and screen use from childhood.
Greater screen time was associated with better cognitive processing, although researchers stressed that the result does not mean spending longer on devices directly makes children smarter.
“Accumulating less unsupervised physical activity and more screen time from childhood to adolescence was associated with better cognition in adolescence,” the conclusion reads.
“The findings suggest that screen time can support children’s and adolescents’ cognitive processing,” said Doctoral Researcher Petri Jalanko from the University of Jyväskylä.
Jalanko said what children actually do during that screen time could be key, adding: “Presumably, the essential point here is what kind of things they do in their screen time.”
He said parents and teachers should encourage screen activities that involve “active thinking, problem-solving, creativity and learning.”
Not all screen time is harmful, study finds
Rather than treating all device use as harmful, Jalanko said the focus should be on finding a healthier balance.
“We should not regard screen time solely as harmful but seek balance between physical activity and screen time that promotes active thinking,” he said.
The study also produced mixed findings around exercise. Girls who recorded more light-intensity physical activity showed better working memory, while boys who took part in more guided physical activity were also linked with stronger working memory.
Researchers unexpectedly found that lower levels of self-reported unsupervised exercise were associated with better cognitive processing. However, physical activity measured through heart-rate and movement trackers showed no clear association with cognition.
“Our study indicates that the connections of physical activity and sedentary behavior to cognitive processing are complex,” Jalanko said, adding that the results can depend on sex, activity type, and how it is measured.
The researchers cautioned that the study only found associations and cannot establish cause and effect, with Jalanko saying more intervention studies are needed to understand the relationship.
In another 2026 studies, it was found that gaming can improve driving skills, and that exercise-based games can reduce anxiety.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
