CAN DIGITAL MEDIA AND SCREEN TIME INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN’S AND ADOLESCENTS’ BRAIN DEVELOPMENT? – AN ARTICLE REVIEW

Objective: Digital media and as a consequence the use of screens are playing an increasingly important role in people's lives. Unfortunately, it also results in screen time among children, which has negative effect for their brain development. The purpose of this article is to present the impact of digital media usage and screen time on brain development and its consequences in children and adolescents. Methods: The review was conducted based on the analysis of materials collected from the "PubMed" databases. During the search for scientific articles, the following keywords were used: autism in children and screens, child's screen time, advantages and disadvantages of digital media, brain development and digital media, brain development. A total of 30 articles were considered for the study, and their relevance was verified in the context of the impact of digital media on brain development in children and adolescents. Key findings: Modern digital media play a vital role in 21st – century human life. Despite the many benefits of new technologies, their excessive use can lead to negative consequences. Researchers suggest that this may be related to, among other things, disruptions in brain development and an increase in the incidence of mental disorders. Conclusions: Most intense development of the human brain occurs in the early years of life, when neurons are particularly plastic and highly sensitive to stimuli. Excessive use of screen devices can affect speech or cognitive development and social-emotional aspects. However, due to rapid technological advances, this issue requires further, in-depth research.