Archive · 8 Dec 2025
Study Links Social Media to Children's Focus Decline
A big study with over 8,000 kids in the US found that using social media for more than 30 minutes a day might make it harder for children to focus.
The researchers looked at kids from age 9 to 14 and found that those who spent a lot of time on platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook started to have trouble paying attention.
This wasn't the case with watching TV or playing video games.
The scientists think that all the notifications and messages on social media can distract kids' brains, making it tougher for them to stay focused.
Importantly, this effect wasn't because kids with attention problems were using more social media - it seems the social media use itself might be causing the focus issues.
While the effect on each individual child was small, the researchers say it could add up to a big problem for many kids.
Children spending over 30 minutes daily on social media may experience declining focus abilities.
Study of 8,324 US children aged 9-14 found no such link with TV or video games.
Researchers attribute the effect to constant social media distractions like messages and notifications.
The association was independent of socioeconomic background or genetic ADHD predisposition.
No increase in hyperactive/impulsive behavior was observed, but population-level impact could be significant.
- Who
- Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Oregon Health & Science University
- What
- Study on the impact of social media use on children's focus
- When
- Study conducted over four years, published in Pediatrics Open Science
- Where
- United States, with data from 8,324 children aged 9-14
- Why
- To investigate the link between screen habits and ADHD-related symptoms
- Study Participants
- 8,324 children aged 9-14 in the US
- Average Social Media Use
- 30 minutes/day for 9-year-olds to 2.5 hours/day for 13-year-olds
- Key Finding
- Social media use linked to inattention symptoms, not TV or video games
- Research Institutions
- Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) and Oregon Health & Science University (US)
- Publication
- Pediatrics Open Science
- Key Researcher
- Torkel Klingberg, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience