Growing concern about the impact of social media on children has been supported by a growing body of research over the years. Issues such as reduced attention span and weaker short-term memory are frequently discussed by parents, educators and health professionals. A new study has now taken a closer look at this debate, examining whether heavy screen use, particularly social media, is linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related symptoms in young people.

What does the study reveal about social media and focus?

Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and Oregon Health & Science University in the United States explored whether children’s digital habits could be connected to difficulties with concentration. Their findings suggested that social media use has a noticeable effect on children’s ability to stay attentive.

The study drew on data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study, which followed children every year for four years. More than 8,000 participants were tracked from around age 10 to age 14. In total, the dataset included 8,324 children, with an average age of 9.9 years, and 53 percent of them were boys. The children reported how much time they spent on social media, video games and television through the Youth Screen Time Survey.

 

Which platforms were linked to inattention?

According to the researchers, children who spent a great deal of time on apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter or Messenger gradually displayed more symptoms related to inattention. The study did not show a similar connection between concentration issues and time spent watching television or playing video games.

What do the researchers say about the findings?

Torkel Klingberg, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Department of Neuroscience at Karolinska Institute, explained that the findings indicate social media in particular has an influence on how well children can concentrate. He stated that the study pointed specifically to social media use as the factor affecting children’s attention abilities.