THE INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL DEVICES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN OF EARLY SCHOOL AGE

Early school age (6-7 years) is a critical period for the development of cognitive processes. During this age range, a transition from predominantly visual-figurative thinking to the development of elements of logical and abstract thinking occurs, with the role of voluntary attention and goal-directed activity increasing. Working memory, which ensures the retention and processing of information during problem-solving, actively develops. From a neuropsychological perspective, this age is characterized by intensive maturation of the frontal lobes, particularly the dorsolateral and orbitofrontal regions involved in behavioral regulation, planning, and control. The functional organization of the frontoparietal and frontotemporal networks, which facilitate the integration of sensory information and the formation of semantic processes, becomes more complex . Interhemispheric interactions are completed, which is reflected in the formation of functional asymmetry and lateralization of speech and spatial functions.