WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study revealed that children who spend a lot of time on social media may have more trouble concentrating and could be more likely to develop symptoms of ADHD.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet followed more than 8,000 U.S. children from ages 9-10 to 14. The children reported how much time they spent on social media, watching TV or online videos, and playing video games. Their parents rated their attention levels and hyperactivity.
The researchers found that the children, on average, spent 2.3 hours a day watching TV or videos, 1.4 hours on social media, and 1.5 hours playing video games. Also, they noted that heavy use of social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and Messenger was linked to gradually increasing attention problems. However, this link was not found for watching TV or playing video games.
Torkel Klingberg, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute, explained, '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.'
The researchers emphasized that this does not mean all children who use social media will develop attention issues, but it does raise questions about whether age limits and platform designs need to be reconsidered. Social media use increased sharply from 30 minutes a day at age 9 to 2.5 hours a day at age 13, even though most platforms require users to be at least 13.
'We hope that our findings will help parents and policymakers make well-informed decisions on healthy digital consumption that support children's cognitive development,' said study author Samson Nivins, a postdoctoral researcher at the Karolinska Institute.
Notably, the researchers will continue to follow the children after age 14 to see if the trend continues.
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