Neuroscientists show children’s brains function differently during book reading and screen time

A new study published in Developmental Science has found that preschool children’s brain activity differs when they are read to from a book compared to when they view and listen to stories on a screen. Using a neuroimaging technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy, the researchers observed greater activation in the right hemisphere of the brain during live book reading, particularly in regions involved in social understanding, while screen time produced more balanced activity across both hemispheres.

Reading to young children plays an important role in supporting language development and brain growth. Book reading offers opportunities for children to hear rich language, learn the structure of stories, build vocabulary, and engage in social interaction with caregivers. In contrast, growing concerns have emerged about the effects of screen time, as many studies link high screen exposure to language delays and weaker connections in brain areas important for literacy.

While past research has demonstrated broad differences between book reading and screen media in children’s outcomes, fewer studies have directly compared what happens in the brain during these two activities. The researchers aimed to fill this gap by measuring brain activity during live reading and screen-based storytelling in preschoolers.

The study involved 28 typically developing children between the ages of 3 and 6 years old. All participants came from predominantly English-speaking households, although some were multilingual. The children listened to two different stories: one presented during a live book reading session, and the other delivered as an audio recording paired with images on a screen. In the book reading condition, a live experimenter sat beside the child, reading aloud from a printed book.

In the screen time condition, the child viewed the story on a computer while hearing a recorded voice. Both stories were carefully matched for length, vocabulary, and content. Brain activity was recorded throughout using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, which measures changes in blood oxygenation linked to neural activity.

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The researchers focused on specific brain regions involved in language, narrative understanding, and social cognition, including the inferior and middle frontal gyri, the superior and middle temporal gyri, and the temporal parietal junction. The team analyzed differences in activation across left and right hemispheres during each condition.

Results showed that live book reading produced greater activation in the right temporal parietal junction, a brain area associated with social processes like joint attention and understanding others’ thoughts. Activation in this area was significant during the book reading condition but not during the screen time condition. Across the broader regions of interest, brain responses during book reading were stronger in the right hemisphere than in the left, suggesting a right-lateralized pattern. In contrast, brain responses during screen time were relatively even across both hemispheres, showing no strong lateralization.

The findings suggest that live book reading may engage preschool children in more socially oriented cognitive processes compared to solitary screen time. Book reading may encourage children to focus on the reader’s emotions, intentions, and shared attention toward the book, all of which involve right-hemisphere brain networks. In contrast, screen-based storytelling might involve more isolated language processing, relying less on social engagement.

While these patterns are consistent with previous research showing that book reading benefits language and social development, the study also highlights important nuances. For example, the right-lateralized response during live reading might reflect children’s sensitivity to the human voice, facial expressions, and social interaction, even if the reading interaction itself was somewhat scripted and controlled in this study.

As with any study, there are limitations. The relatively small sample size, particularly when accounting for missing data in some brain channels, limits the strength of the conclusions. Many of the children also came from highly educated and high-income households, so the findings may not generalize to more diverse populations.

The researchers also noted that the structured nature of the book reading task—designed to minimize variation across participants—reduced the natural, conversational aspects of typical reading interactions between parents and children. Future studies could examine brain activity during more naturalistic reading sessions that include back-and-forth conversation and emotional expression.

In addition, although the study showed different patterns of brain activation between book reading and screen time, it did not directly measure children’s language learning outcomes. Future research could explore whether these neural differences are linked to improvements in vocabulary, comprehension, or later academic skills.

Despite these limitations, the study adds important new evidence to the understanding of how different early experiences shape brain function. It reinforces previous findings that social interaction during language exposure matters for young children’s brain development. Live, shared activities like book reading seem to recruit brain systems involved in understanding others and processing complex social cues, which could give children a stronger foundation for later communication and learning.

The results also suggest that screen-based media might not activate the same social brain systems, especially when the child is passively viewing without a live social partner. While not all screen time is equal, and some interactive or educational media may still be beneficial, the findings support recommendations that live social interaction remains important during early childhood.

The study, “Do Children’s Brains Function Differently During Book Reading and Screen Time? A fNIRS Study,” was authored by Meredith Pecukonis, Meryem Yücel, Henry Lee, Cory Knox, David A. Boas, and Helen Tager-Flusberg.