Computer/internet use and console gaming: The effect on cognitive function in Australian primary school students

摘要

Computer/internet use and console gaming has greatly increased over the last two decades with children and adolescents becoming frequent users of these technologies at younger ages. The aims of this study were to investigate any potential associations between computer/internet use and console gaming with cognitive function in a cohort of primary school children. There were 412 participants from a representative sample of 36 state, private and Catholic schools. Overall computer/internet use and total screen time were found to have no associations, but console gaming was found to have significant associations with many of the cognitive functions by either shortening the response times or reducing the accuracy of responses.