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health1d ago
Social media use damages children’s ability to focus, say researchers
- A long-term study of 8,300 US children links social media use to more inattention symptoms over time.
- Researchers from Karolinska Institute and Oregon Health & Science University report small but potentially meaningful population effects.
- The study found no ADHD link with video games or YouTube alone, but social media use showed an association with inattention.
- Experts caution that social media’s constant distractions may affect concentration in young users.
- The authors emphasize that early and rising social media use underscores the need for stricter age verification.
- The study enrolled participants at ages nine and ten between 2016 and 2018 and will be published in Pediatrics Open Science.
- Researchers suggest findings may help parents and policymakers with digital consumption guidelines.
- The report notes that social media use increases with age among children in the studied cohort.
- The researchers caution this does not mean every child on social media develops concentration problems.
- The study’s authors highlighted the role of social media’s constant notifications in distraction.
- The Guardian reports the study may relate to a rise in ADHD diagnoses.
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