Be careful of social networks, their continuous use is dangerous for children: a study led by Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) has shown that children who spend a lot of time in these activities tend to experience a gradual decline in their ability to concentrate.
The use of screens and digital media has increased significantly in the last 15 years, and in parallel experts have noticed a significant increase in diagnoses of ADHD, a well-known disorder typical of childhood and adolescence
What is ADHD
ADHD (acronym for ‘Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder‘, Editor’s note) is a neuropsychological development disorder of children and adolescents – reports our Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) – characterized by hyperactivity, impulsiveness, inability to concentrate which generally manifests before the age of 7
According to theAmerican Psychiatric Association ADHD is a persistent situation/state of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than what is typically observed in children of the same developmental level.
Children with ADHD have difficulty completing any activity that requires concentration – specifies the ISS – they seem not to listen to anything that is said to them, they are excessively lively, they run or climb, they jump on chairs, they get distracted very easily, they talk continuously, answering in an impetuous way before listening to the whole question, they are unable to wait their turn in a queue or in a work group, they can manifest serious learning difficulties which risk making them fall behind their classmates, with emotional damage
What scientists have discovered now
Researchers have now investigated a possible link between screen habits and ADHD-related symptoms by following 8,324 children aged 9 to 10 in the United States for four years.
The children were asked to report how much time they spent on social media, watching TV/videos and playing video games, and their parents rated their levels of attentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity.
The results were pretty clear: children who spent a lot of time on social media platforms, like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter or Messengergradually developed symptoms of inattention, while no association was found with watching television or playing video games.
“Our study suggests that it is specifically social media that affects children’s ability to concentrate,” explains Torkel Klingberg, who led the research. “Social media involves constant distractions in the form of messages and notifications, and just the thought of receiving a message can act as a mental distraction. This affects the ability to stay focused and could explain the association
The correlation was also not found to be influenced by socioeconomic background or a genetic predisposition to ADHD, and children who already had symptoms of inattention did not start using social media more, suggesting that social media use is leading to the symptoms and not the other way around.
The researchers found no increase in hyperactive/impulsive behavior: the effect on concentration was limited at the individual level, but at the population level it could have a significant impact.
Increased social media use could explain some of the increase we are seeing in ADHD diagnoses, although ADHD is also associated with hyperactivity, which did not increase in our study
What we can (and must) do
The researchers stress that the findings do not imply that all children who use social media develop concentration difficulties, but there is reason to debate age restrictions and platform design.
But in the study, the average time spent on social media increased from about 30 minutes a day for 9-year-olds to 2.5 hours for 13-year-olds, despite many platforms setting the minimum age requirement at 13.
And this age is not random: in fact, according to global research conducted in 40 countries involving over 100,000 young adults, between the ages of 18 and 24 found that those who received their first smartphone before the age of 13 reported much higher rates of suicidal thoughts, aggression, anxiety, low self-esteem and mood disorders.
We hope our findings help parents and policy makers make informed decisions about healthy digital consumption that supports children’s cognitive development
declares Samson Nivinsco-author of the work
The researchers now intend to follow the children after the age of 14 to see whether this correlation remains valid at a later stage in life.
The study, financed by Swedish Research Council and from Masonic Home for Children Foundation Of Stockholmwas published on Pediatrics Open Science.
Sources: Karolinska Institutet / Pediatrics Open Science
