O impactos das mídias digitais no desenvolvimento cognitivo das crianças

Intensive screen use during childhood has raised concerns due to its possible effects on cognitive development, particularly regarding attention, memory, language, and executive functions. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the influence of excessive use of social networks and digital media on children's cognitive development. This is an integrative literature review with a qualitative approach and descriptive nature. The search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Virtual Health Library, and Google Scholar databases, in addition to manual searches of the references of selected studies. Inclusion criteria considered the publication period, availability of full texts, language, and relevance to the research topic. After the identification, screening, and eligibility assessment stages, nine primary studies were included in the analysis. The results revealed associations between excessive exposure to digital media and difficulties related to sustained attention, working memory, self-regulation, and academic performance. Possible effects on sleep, language, and family interactions were also identified. Frequent consumption of digital content, particularly short videos and social networks, may encourage prolonged screen exposure and interfere with experiences that are essential for child development. It is concluded that intensive screen use requires attention from families and educators. Establishing limits, supervising accessed content, and encouraging face-to-face activities, play, reading, and social interaction are important measures to promote healthy child development.