Scientists have noted the impact of fantasy content on children's cognitive functions

A recent study shows that the speed of scene changes in television programs does not have a harmful effect on children's attention. However, fantastic content causes temporary reductions in attention and executive functions. This was reported by PsyPost.

The problem of screen time is of concern to parents and educators. The main question is how the intensity of modern media affects children's development. Modern programs are often characterized by rapid scene changes and intense audiovisual stimulation, which leads to the hypothesis of an "overload" of the child's brain. However, studies have shown that the impact on children's cognitive abilities is not due to the rhythm of the program, but rather to the content, in particular, fantastic content.

In order to identify a certain pattern, the researchers used a meta-analysis method and paid attention to several independent studies. The first meta-analysis was dedicated specifically to the pace of media. The data from 19 scientific papers involving 1,431 children aged one and a half to ten years were combined here. The second one focused on the fantasy element based on 16 studies involving 1,297 children aged one and a half to six years.

The results of the study in the context of the speed of media perception showed that the pace itself may not have a negative impact. According to general data, the speed of content perception does not significantly affect overall cognitive performance. However, the analysis of fantastic content showed different results — experts found a significant negative effect.

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"The children showed similar results in cognitive tasks immediately after watching, regardless of whether they were watching slow or dynamic broadcasts. However, children who watched fantasy media showed lower results in cognitive tasks after watching it than children who watched comparatively realistic media. It is believed that this effect is short—lived, so, for example, it may be difficult for children to follow instructions immediately after watching," said study author Ashley Hinten, a researcher at the Faculty of Arts and Education at the University of Auckland.

She noted that despite the different results between the children, the difference was not too great. According to the expert, this may be due to strong differences in the different studies that were used in the meta-analysis.

The researchers emphasize that it is important to take into account not only the rhythm and content, but also the context in which children watch TV. Although the current study has found that fiction affects attention, it does not take into account how factors such as duration and viewing conditions can change the results.

Earlier, on November 1, Science Daily magazine reported on the negative impact of excessive time on the phone for children. It was clarified that spending a long time on gadgets can increase the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

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