Technology and digital media's effect on young children's thinking, relationships, and brain development
Official title: Examining Impacts of Technology and Digital Media on Cognitive and Socioemotional Skills and Underlying Neural Mechanisms from Age 3 to 6 Years Old
Funded at Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger · NIH-11363557 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how screens and digital media affect thinking, emotions, and brain development in 3- to 6-year-olds and what factors make the outcomes better or worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | August 10, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $683,107 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HD118970-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11363557 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 3 at enrollment and their families, especially those from underserved backgrounds, who engage in everyday digital media use.
✕Less likely to help
Children without significant exposure to digital media or without access to follow-up over multiple years may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will follow 150 three-year-olds and their parents, tracking TDM use, language, literacy, and math skills, plus brain changes over four years with annual visits. The study builds on MRI data and aims to understand why TDM helps some children and harms others, especially for those from underserved backgrounds. Data will inform how children’s social and cognitive development is linked to media exposure and neural development during early school years. The work involves real families, brain imaging, and repeated assessments to map trajectories from preschool to kindergarten. Final goals include guidelines to optimize healthy development in the context of digital media use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could shape parental guidance and policy on digital media use to support healthier cognitive and socioemotional development.
How similar studies have gone: Prior MRI-based studies have shown links between language-related brain networks and early development, but this project extends to broader outcomes and differential susceptibility.
Where this research is happening
-
Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Horowitz-Kraus, Tzipi — Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger
- Study coordinator: Horowitz-Kraus, Tzipi
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.