Social media is ruining children’s attention spans
Social media not only wastes children’s time, it also destroys their ability to focus.
Researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and Oregon Health and Science University tracked 8,324 children from age nine or ten through early adolescence, tallying their daily digital habits, while parents also reported on attention and impulsivity.
What they found was clear: heavy social media use (not TV, not gaming) led to a steady erosion of attention.
Children who spent a “significant” amount of time on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, X or Messenger showed a gradual decline in concentration and an increase in “signs of inattention.”
But those who mostly watched TV or played video games showed no such pattern.
Professor Torkel Klingberg, senior author of the study, said: “Our study shows that social media in particular affects children’s ability to concentrate.
“Social media brings constant distractions in the form of messages and notifications, and the sole thought of whether a message has arrived or not can create a mental distraction. This affects the ability to focus and may explain the association.”
Importantly, children who already had attention problems were not more likely to start using social media; This shows that the relationship moves from the screen to the symptom, not the other way around.
Professor Klingberg said: “Greater social media consumption may explain some of the increase we are seeing in ADHD diagnoses, although ADHD is also associated with hyperactivity, which was not increased in our study.”
Lead author Samson Nivins thinks the study’s findings should guide both parents and policymakers
The Karolinska Institute expert said: “We hope that our findings will help parents and policymakers make informed decisions about healthy digital consumption that supports children’s cognitive development.”
