Social media use damages children's ability to focus, say researchers

"Increased use of social media by children damages their concentration levels and may be contributing to an increase in cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a study. The peer-reviewed report monitored the development of more than 8,300 US-based children from the age of 10 to 14 and linked social media use to increased inattention symptoms. Reseachers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Oregon Health & Science"

"No link was found between ADHD-related symptoms such as being easily distracted and playing video games or watching TV and YouTube. However, the study found that social media use over a period of time was associated with an increase in inattention symptoms in children. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder with symptoms including impulsiveness, forgetting everyday tasks and difficulty focusing. We identified an association between social media use and increased inattention symptoms, interpreted here as a likely causal effect, said the study."

"Torkel Klingberg, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute, said: Our study suggests that it is specifically social media that affects children's ability to concentrate. 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 and could explain the association."

Children aged 10–14 spent an average of 2.3 hours daily watching television or online videos, 1.4 hours on social media and 1.5 hours playing video games. Social media use over time was associated with increased inattention symptoms, while video games and television showed no link to ADHD-related distraction symptoms. ADHD symptoms include impulsiveness, forgetting everyday tasks and difficulty focusing. The association between social media use and inattention persisted regardless of socioeconomic background or genetic predisposition. The individual effect size was small but could have significant consequences if behavior changes across the population and may contribute to rising ADHD incidence.

Read at www.theguardian.com