NEW research from a major USA child-development study suggests that daily social media use, though often dismissed as harmless, may contribute to small but measurable increases in inattention symptoms over time. The findings, drawn from more than 8,000 children followed for 4 years, highlight how even modest behaviour shifts can scale into meaningful public-health effects when they occur across an entire population.
Social Media Use Emerges as the Only Digital Predictor of Inattention
Researchers analysed data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term study of child neurodevelopment in the United States. Children, who were around 10 years old at the start, reported how much time they spent each day on social media, video games, and television or streaming videos.
Among all digital media types, social media stood out: greater daily use was linked to a steady increase in parent-reported inattention symptoms across the 4-year follow-up period. The effect was small for each individual child, but consistent.
Large U.S. Study Tracks 8,000 Children Over Four Years
The study included 8,324 children, about half of whom were boys. On average, kids reported using social media for 1.4 hours per day, video games for 1.5 hours, and television or videos for 2.3 hours. Families also provided genetic data so researchers could calculate each child’s polygenic risk for ADHD, a measure of underlying biological susceptibility.
No Link Found for Video Games or Television
Surprisingly, video games and TV/video watching showed no association with changes in ADHD-related symptoms, challenging assumptions that all screen time affects attention in the same way. Only social media demonstrated a long-term connection with rising inattention.
Effects Persist Regardless of Genetics, Diagnosis, or Medication
The link between social media use and inattention symptoms remained consistent whether children had an ADHD diagnosis, were on medication, or had a high or low genetic risk score. The pattern also did not differ between boys and girls.
Importantly, researchers found no evidence that children with inattention symptoms increased their social media use over time, suggesting that heavy use may contribute to symptoms, rather than the other way around.
Why Small Increases in Symptoms Still Matter at a Population Level
Though the effect for any one child was modest, researchers emphasise that small behavioural shifts across millions of children can collectively shape population-level mental-health trends. The team encourages parents, educators, and clinicians to recognise that the type of screen exposure, not simply the number of hours, may matter for attention development.
Reference
Nivins S et al. Digital media, genetics and risk for adhd symptoms in children – a longitudinal study. Pediatrics Open Science 2025; DOI:10.1542/pedsos.2025-000922.
