Parents are constantly being told to limit their children\u2019s screen time. But when it comes to deciphering which films or TV shows are best suited to developing minds, the guidance remains largely one-size-fits-all. A relatively slow-paced programme such as Bluey offers a very different viewing experience to a fast-moving action series such as PAW Patrol, yet both are broadly considered suitable for young children.<\/p>\n
This challenge is growing as the type of content children are exposed to evolves. \u201cToday\u2019s young viewers are increasingly engaging with short-form, fast-paced, highly captivating content, often created by splicing and rearranging existing episodic content into quickly digestible snippets or compilations,\u201d said Prof Tim Smith, director of University of the Arts London\u2019s Nerve Lab. \u201cThis evolution is not only changing how content is produced and distributed, but may also affect children\u2019s attention, comprehension and emotional response.\u201d<\/p>\n
Young children process information differently from adults, yet there is still relatively little evidence about how specific features of children\u2019s programmes influence their attention, comprehension and behaviour. \u201cWe have kids as young as two spending three or four hours a day on screens. It is really important to have a wider understanding of what it means for them to watch something that\u2019s appropriate for their age,\u201d said Alisa Musatova, a research assistant on the Animating Minds project.<\/p>\n
Animating Minds is just one strand of research under way at Nerve Lab, which opened in London earlier this week. The first facility of its kind in the UK, it combines wearable brain imaging, motion capture and AI-powered analytics to study how people respond to media and artistic experiences in real time. Other projects are developing tools to help visually impaired people navigate video games or even shape live dance and music performances.<\/p>\n
To better understand how different styles of children\u2019s content affect young viewers, Musatova and her colleagues have assembled a database of about 1,000 episodes of popular animated TV shows and are using AI-based tools to analyse features such as pacing, colourfulness, loudness, shot frequency and narrative structure, while interviewing animators, producers and commissioners about the creative decisions that shape children\u2019s content.<\/p>\n
Linda Geddes tries out the University of the Arts London\u2019s new Nerve Lab. Photograph: Graeme Robertson\/The Guardian<\/p>\n