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

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00:00Social Media is Wrecking Kids' Attention Spans, New Study Warrants

00:04A new study is sounding the alarm on the impact of social media on kids' attention spans.

00:10Researchers from the Karolinska Institute and Oregon Health and Science University found

00:14a significant link between social media use and attention deficits in children aged 9

00:19to 10.

00:20The study, which followed over 8,000 kids in the U.S. for four years, discovered that daily

00:25social media use skyrocketed from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, paralleling a rise in inattention

00:31symptoms.

00:32The findings are stark.

00:34As social media use increased, so did symptoms of inattention.

00:38The researchers attribute this to the constant digital distractions that come with social

00:42media, such as messages and notifications.

00:45What's more, the study found no evidence that kids with pre-existing inattention symptoms

00:50were more likely to use social media.

00:53This suggests that social media use is a contributing factor to inattentiveness.

00:57Over 7 million U.S. kids and adolescents had an ADHD diagnosis in 2022, up from just over

01:036 million in 2016.

01:06While the study doesn't establish causation, it suggests that excessive social media use

01:11may be part of the problem.

01:13As the researchers note, individual effects may be small, but population-level behavioral

01:17changes can have significant consequences.

01:20The takeaway?

01:22Students and policy makers need to take a closer look at how kids are consuming digital

01:26media and make informed decisions to support healthy cognitive development.

01:30the classroom.

01:32Theālaaikū.

01:33Theum.

01:34Theum.

01:35Theum.

01:36Theum.