Social media is wrecking kids’ attention spans, new study warns

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A new study is sounding the alarm on the impact of social media on kids’ attention spans.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institute and Oregon Health & Science University found a significant link between social media use and attention deficits in children aged 9-10.

The study, which followed over 8,000 kids in the US for four years, discovered that daily social media use skyrocketed from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, paralleling a rise in inattention symptoms (according to the four-year US cohort study).

The findings are stark: as social media use increased, so did symptoms of inattention. The researchers attribute this to the constant digital distractions that come with social media, such as messages and notifications.

“Our study suggests that it is specifically social media that affects children’s ability to concentrate,” said coauthor and Karolinska Institutet professor of cognitive neuroscience Torkel Klingberg in a statement.

What’s more, the study found no evidence that kids with pre-existing inattention symptoms were more likely to use social media. This suggests that social media use is a contributing factor to inattentiveness (according to the researchers).

With ADHD diagnoses on the rise in the US, this study’s findings have significant implications

Over seven million US kids and adolescents had an ADHD diagnosis in 2022, up from just over six million in 2016.

While the study doesn’t establish causation, it suggests that excessive social media use may be part of the problem (the study notes).

As the researchers note, individual effects may be small, but population-level behavioral changes can have significant consequences (as noted by the researchers).

The takeaway? Parents and policymakers need to take a closer look at how kids are consuming digital media and make informed decisions to support healthy cognitive development.

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com.