New Delhi – A study of more than 8,000 youngsters aged roughly 10 to 14 found that spending over half an hour each day on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat can gradually erode a child’s capacity to stay focused.
The research, carried out by teams at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet and the University of Oregon Health & Science, sought to uncover whether daily screen use correlates with Attention‑Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms.
Over four years the team tracked 8,324 American children aged nine to fourteen, recording the time they devoted to social media, watching television and videos, and playing video games. At nine, the average daily usage hovered around 30 minutes, climbing to 2½ hours by the time they were 13.
Results indicated that kids who logged substantial time on sites like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Messenger began showing signs of inattention over time. In contrast, watching television or playing video games did not show the same pattern. These findings were published in Pediatrics Open Science.
Professor Torkel Klingberg of Karolinska’s Department of Neuroscience explained, “It appears that it’s specifically the constant pinging of social media that disrupts concentration. The anticipation of a new message can itself become a distraction, undermining focus.”
The link held even when researchers accounted for family economic status or a genetic tendency toward ADHD. Likewise, children who already exhibited inattentiveness did not subsequently turn to social media more often, suggesting that the direction of causality runs from social‑media use to attentional decline, not the reverse.
While the individual effect on concentration was modest, the study noted that at a population level this could translate into a meaningful impact. No increase in hyperactive or impulsive behavior was detected.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
