Unravelling the Enigma: How Behavioural Addictions Alter the Developing Child Brain?

The paper explores how behavioural addictions (BAs)—including problematic internet use, smartphone overuse, gaming, and social media—may affect the developing brains of children and adolescents. It frames the issue within growing screen and internet exposure, noting mixed findings in the literature and highlighting concern over potential neurodevelopmental, cognitive, and psychosocial impacts. The article emphasizes the importance of understanding the context and mechanisms by which BA-related exposures, including radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) from smartphones, could influence brain maturation and developmental outcomes.

The authors summarize evidence linking extended screen and internet use with attention problems, reduced academic performance, and social difficulties in children, while noting that findings are mixed. Adolescent neuroimaging studies associate digital technology exposure and problematic internet/smartphone use with lower grey matter density and structural differences in regions implicated in reward processing and inhibitory control. Functional MRI studies report altered connectivity and functional interactions among striatal, limbic, and frontal networks in high problematic smartphone users. A scoping review found little direct causal evidence of cognitive harm from screen exposure in infants under 24 months, but in children aged 1–3 years, greater screen time was associated with reduced peer play and increased risk of developmental delay. Evidence also suggests excessive screen time may reduce physical activity, which correlates with language development and inductive reasoning, potentially affecting cognitive outcomes. The review highlights early-stage and heterogeneous research, calling for better methodologies and consideration of individual differences and co-occurring factors.

- Extended screen/internet use is associated with attention problems, poorer academic performance, and social difficulties in children, though results are mixed. - Adolescent studies report lower grey matter density in specific brain areas after digital technology exposure, and problematic internet use shows reduced grey matter in regions responsible for reward processing and inhibitory control. - Problematic smartphone use (PSU) shows neural changes similar to substance and behavioural addictions, including altered connectivity within/between striatal, limbic, and frontal regions; high PSU has been linked to lower task performance with increased frontoparietal activity. - A scoping review found limited causal links between screen exposure and cognitive harm in infants <24 months; among 1–3-year-olds, higher screen time displaced peer play and was associated with developmental delay. - Excessive screen time may reduce physical activity, which is correlated with cognitive skills (e.g., language development, inductive reasoning), potentially impacting cognitive and language development. - Children may be more susceptible to RF-EMR effects due to thinner myelin, skull, and specific dielectric properties, raising concerns about nonthermal and thermal effects on developing brains.

The synthesized evidence suggests that behavioural addictions and related digital exposures can influence neural structure and function in youth, particularly within reward, inhibitory control, and attentional networks, thereby aligning with observed academic, attentional, and social challenges. While infant data do not establish causality, early childhood findings indicate that screen time may displace critical social interactions (peer play) and relate to developmental risks. The discussion underscores the need to interpret findings by considering individual differences, co-occurring factors (e.g., mental health, environment), and specific BA types, as these moderate outcomes. Given potential RF-EMR vulnerabilities in children and neuroimaging parallels with addiction phenotypes, the authors advocate proactive guidance for families and schools. The findings support interventions promoting healthy digital habits, parental monitoring, and self-regulation to mitigate risks to cognitive and socio-emotional development.

The paper highlights converging evidence that behavioural addictions and excessive digital exposure may alter developing brain networks and relate to adverse cognitive, academic, and social outcomes in youth. Despite mixed and early-stage findings—especially in infants—the weight of evidence in older children and adolescents warrants precautionary measures and health education. The authors call for robust, longitudinal, and methodologically rigorous studies to clarify causality, characterize neurobiological mechanisms, and disentangle BA subtypes and moderating factors. Future research should standardize exposure metrics, account for co-occurring variables, and investigate interventions that balance digital engagement with physical activity and social interaction.

- Lack of a formal causal framework and limited longitudinal evidence, particularly in infants and toddlers. - Mixed findings across studies, with heterogeneity in measures of screen time/BA and outcomes. - Potential confounders (e.g., baseline cognition, mental health, socio-environmental factors) not consistently controlled across cited studies. - Editorial/narrative nature without primary data limits generalizability and causal inference.