NEW DELHI, India — Children who spend more than 30 minutes a day on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Facebook may experience a gradual decline in their ability to concentrate, according to a new study tracking more than 8,000 children over four years.
The research, conducted by teams at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Oregon Health & Science University in the U.S., followed 8,324 children aged 9 to 14 to examine links between screen habits and symptoms associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The findings were published in Pediatrics Open Science.
The study found that time spent on social media rose sharply between ages 9 and 13 — from about 30 minutes per day to roughly 2.5 hours daily. Despite many platforms setting a minimum age of 13, younger children were already engaging with them regularly.
Children who consistently used social media platforms developed increasing symptoms of inattention over time. No such pattern was identified among children who spent time watching television or playing video games.
“Our study suggests that it is specifically social media that affects children’s ability to concentrate,” said Torkel Klingberg, professor of cognitive neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet. “Social media entails constant distractions in the form of messages and notifications, and the mere thought of whether a message has arrived can act as a mental distraction. This affects the ability to stay focused.”
Researchers found that the association between social media use and attention problems remained regardless of socioeconomic background or genetic disposition toward ADHD. They also noted that children who already had symptoms of inattention were not more likely to increase their social media use, suggesting the effect flows from usage to symptoms — not the other way around.
The study reported no rise in hyperactive or impulsive behaviors linked to social media. Although the impact on any individual child may be modest, researchers warned the effect could be substantial at a population level as social media use continues to increase among young adolescents. (Source: IANS)
