Attention drift: Social media, not gaming, drives teen inattention

The digital revolution has become a vast, unplanned experiment – and children are its most exposed participants. As ADHD diagnoses rise around the world, a key question has emerged: could the growing use of digital devices be playing a role?

To explore this, we studied more than 8,000 children, from when they were around ten until they were 14. We asked about their digital habits and grouped them into three categories: gaming, TV/video (YouTube, say), and social media. The latter included apps such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, X, Messenger and Facebook. We then analysed whether usage was associated with long-term change in the two core symptoms of ADHD: inattentiveness and hyperactivity.

Our main finding was that social media use was associated with a gradual increase in inattentiveness. Gaming or watching videos was not. These patterns remained even after accounting for children’s genetic risk for ADHD and their families’ income. We also tested whether inattentiveness might cause children to use more social media instead. It didn’t. The direction ran one way: social media use predicted later inattentiveness.

The mechanisms of how digital media affects attention are unknown. But the lack of negative effect of other screen activities means we can rule out any general, negative effect of screens, as well as the popular notion that all digital media produces “dopamine hits”, which then mess with children’s attention.

As cognitive neuroscientists, we could make an educated guess. Social media introduces constant distractions, preventing sustained attention to any task. If it is not the messages themselves that distract, the mere thought of whether a message has arrived can act as a mental distraction. These distractions impair focus in the moment, and when they persist for months or years, they may also have long-term effects.

Gaming, on the other hand, takes place during limited sessions and involves a constant focus on one task at a time.

The effect of social media, using statistical measures, was not large. It was not enough to push a person with normal attention into ADHD territory. But if the entire population becomes more inattentive, many will cross the diagnostic border. Theoretically, an increase of one hour of social media use in the entire population would increase diagnoses by about 30%. This is admittedly a simplification, since diagnoses depend on many factors, but it illustrates how even an effect small at the individual level can have a significant effect when it affects an entire population.

Some argue that the rise in ADHD diagnoses reflects greater awareness and reduced stigma. That may be part of the story, but it doesn’t rule out a genuine increase in inattention. Studies claiming symptoms of inattention have not increased often examined children too young to own smartphones, or periods that predate the avalanche in scrolling.

Social media probably increases inattention, and social media use has rocketed. What now? The US requires children to be at least 13 to create an account on most platforms, but these restrictions are easy to outsmart. Australia is currently going the furthest. From December 10 2025, media companies will be required to ensure users are 16 or above, with high penalties for noncompliance. Let’s see what effect that legislation will have. Perhaps the rest of the world should follow the Australians.

The Conversation