Social media damages children’s attention spans in a way TV and video games don’t, study finds
Study reveals true impact of social media on a child’s attention span
- A major new study from Sweden and the United States found that children with significant social media access experience a notable erosion in their ability to concentrate.
- Researchers tracked 8,324 children aged 9-14 over four years, observing a gradual decline in attention levels and an increase in "inattention symptoms" among heavy social media users.
- The study specifically linked these effects to social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, noting that watching television or playing video games did not produce the same outcome.
- Experts, including Professor Torkel Klingberg, suggest that constant distractions from messages and notifications inherent in social media contribute to this decline in focus.
- While individual effects on concentration were small, the study warns of a potentially significant impact at a population level, suggesting social media could partly explain the rise in ADHD diagnoses.