Study Finds Social Media Use Linked to Increased Inattention in Children

Largest adolescent brain study shows social media exposure over 4 years associated with growing inattention symptoms.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 11:08pm

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A highly detailed 3D illustration of a glowing, neon-lit neural network with pulsing nodes and interconnected pathways, conceptually representing the neurological effects of digital technology on the adolescent brain.Visualizing the neurological impact of social media use on the developing adolescent brain.Irvine Today

A major longitudinal study of over 8,000 children aged 9-14 found that social media use was associated with a progressive increase in inattention symptoms over a 4-year period, while video games and television did not show the same effect. Researchers noted the study's methodological strength in establishing the direction of the relationship, with inattention preceding increased social media consumption rather than the reverse.

Why it matters

The findings raise concerns about the public health impact of even small individual effects of social media on attention, given the scale of youth social media use. The study adds to a growing body of research on the cognitive and neurological effects of digital technology, underscoring the need to better understand and mitigate the potential harms of attention-extractive digital ecosystems.

The details

The study, published in Pediatrics Open Science, was conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institutet and Oregon Health & Science University as part of the largest adolescent brain and cognitive development study in the U.S. It followed 8,324 children from ages 9 to 14, tracking their social media use, video game play, and television viewing alongside measures of attention and other cognitive functions. The key finding was that social media use, but not other digital media, was associated with a progressive increase in inattention symptoms over the 4-year period. Importantly, children who already displayed inattention at the start of the study did not increase their social media consumption, suggesting the direction of the relationship runs from exposure to symptoms.

  • The study was published in December 2025.
  • It followed children from ages 9 to 14 over a 4-year period.

The players

Karolinska Institutet

A medical university in Stockholm, Sweden, known for its prestigious medical research.

Oregon Health & Science University

A public research university and academic health center based in Portland, Oregon.

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What’s next

Researchers plan to further investigate the neurological and cognitive mechanisms underlying the link between social media use and inattention, as well as explore potential interventions to mitigate these effects.

The takeaway

This large-scale longitudinal study provides robust evidence of a directional relationship between social media use and growing inattention in children, underscoring the need for greater understanding and regulation of attention-extractive digital technologies to protect public health, especially among vulnerable youth populations.