Effects of screentime on children's attention span and empathy

1. Screen Time: A Danger to Society?
• Good morning everyone, and thank you for joining me today to discuss this important and timely topic. I'm sure when
you think about how you spend your day, a good chunk of it involves some kind of screen - whether it's your phone,
tablet, laptop, or TV. We live in an increasingly digital world where being constantly connected seems like a necessity.
About “90% of all American households have at least one smartphone” (Baron, 2020, pg 238). But have you ever
stopped to think about how all that screen time might be impacting you?
• Many of us feel constantly distracted, unable to focus on one task for very long. We've all experienced that feeling of
looking up from our phone and realizing we just mindlessly scrolled through social media for the past 20 minutes
without taking anything in. Well, research is starting to look at how our shortening attention spans may not just be in our
heads - excessive screen time could actually be rewiring our brains in a way that makes it harder to focus and
concentrate.
• In addition, as we get lost in our own screens and digital worlds, studies are looking at whether we are losing the ability
to read facial expressions and pick up on social cues from others. This could mean our capacity for empathy and
understanding other perspectives is diminishing.
• Perhaps most alarmingly, links have been uncovered between high screen time and increased risks of depression,
anxiety, loneliness and even suicidal thoughts, especially in teens and young adults. As screens become our constant
companion, they may be negatively impacting our mental well-being in serious ways.
• I hope by the end of this presentation, I'll have spread awareness to you all about being more mindful of your screen
habits and consider putting down your devices more often to protect your attention span, empathy and overall mental
health. Let's get started!

2. Dwindling
Attention
Spans?
• “Regarding younger children and preschoolers, screen time was predictive of the attention
problems later” (Santos et al., 2022, 2022)
• “Even the time using touch screen devices was related to an increase in propensity for
attention problems in young children” (Santos et al., 2022) . Developmental
Neuropsychology
• “Kids aged 5 or younger who experience two or more hours of daily screen time are
nearly eight times more likely to be diagnosed with focus-related conditions
including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), says Michael Manos,
director of the ADHD Center for Evaluation and Treatment at the Cleveland Clinic.”
(Novak, 2021) Discover Magazine
• Many of the studies reviewed found associations between greater amounts of
recreational screen time and weaker performance on attention tests among children.
Too much unstructured screen engagement could supplant other attention-building
activities like active play, social interactions, reading, and exploring the real world.
This overexposure to the fast pace and constant stimulus changes on screens may
drain children's limited cognitive resources. Without proper limits and regulations,
children's brains may become accustomed to frequent external stimulation rather
than self-directed focus. More research is still needed to fully understand if certain
types or durations of screen media uniquely influence attentional problems over
others.

3. A
Loss
of
Empathy?
• The Trondheim Early Secure Study (TESS) conducted a research study in Trondheim,
Norway, focusing on children's emotional and behavioral problems. The study recruited
participants from two birth cohorts (2003-2004) and their parents. The study involved a
large sample of participants and employed various data collection methods to assess
child's emotional and behavioral problems, as well as related factors (Skalická et al.,
2019).
• This longitudinal study provides compelling evidence that excessive screen time at early
ages can negatively impact children's emotional understanding and social-emotional
development. The researchers found that more television watching and gaming at age 4
was linked to lower emotion understanding abilities in those same children at age 6.
Interestingly, the children's initial emotion understanding at age 4 did not predict later
screen use, suggesting the relationship is one-way - excessive early screen exposure can
undermine emotional skills, not the other way around.
• The study also yielded some interesting gender differences as well. Television watching
specifically at age 4 was associated with poorer later emotion understanding for girls.
While for boys, gaming at age 4 predicted lower "mentalistic" understanding, or the ability
to infer someone else's thoughts and feelings. Having a television in the bedroom at age 6
also showed a relationship to lower emotion understanding, likely because it gives
children less opportunity to interact with parents and learn emotion skills through
communication. This supports the idea that screen time can hinder social-emotional
learning by displacing valuable parent-child interactions early on, when children's brains
are rapidly developing. It also means parental mediation of screen habits is important to
support children's healthy development.

5. Hindering Early
Development
• Excessive screen time can negatively impact both brain development in
children and mental health in adults. Several studies have found concerning
differences in brain activity and structure linked to overexposure to screens.
For example, one study showed that preschoolers spending more time on
screens had less integrity in their white matter tracts (Novak, 2021). Since
white matter facilitates communication between different brain regions, this
could hinder learning and coordination abilities. Another study found that
young children reading animated stories on screens exhibited reduced
activity in language networks and a hyperfocus on visual areas compared to
print books. Traditional books prompt more imagination by showing a few
words and pictures to fill in, whereas animated stories provide constant
visual stimulation without requiring as much imaginative thinking. If these
brain areas involved in language and imagination are not sufficiently used
at crucial developmental periods, it could impact how those networks form
connections.
• “Youth who spent the most time on their digital technology were
statistically more likely to exhibit higher levels of internalizing problems
two years later. Internalizing problems include depression, anxiety, social
anxiety, somatic complaints, and other concerns. This association between
frequent screen time and mental health problems was mediated by specific
changes in brain development.” (Gardner, 2023) –Yale School of Medicine.

6. Growing Depression and Anxiety
• Mental health seems to benefit from non-screen activities. Adults spending over 6 hours daily on screens face higher risks for
depression (Novak, 2021). This may be because the human brain did not evolve to constantly handle high levels of visual
stimulation and immediate gratification from technologies. Growing brains and healthy adult minds likely need engagement
that incorporates outdoor play, social interactions, and manipulating physical objects in the real world. While screens can
provide some educational benefits if used moderately and intentionally, unlimited recreational time on devices may fail to
support optimal cognitive development and mental well-being that stems from a variety of activities and experiences beyond
two-dimensional interactions.
• Furthermore, it appears that social media is a particular aggravator. Stanley Baran in his book “Introduction to Mass
Communication” touches upon this. He reports on what The American Academy of Pediatrics coins as “Facebook
Depression” and “Facebook Envy” (Baran, 2020, pg 240). These terms reference how social media posts are
usually the “gilded” versions of people’s lives, meaning that they are crafted to look much better than reality. This
can cause a very mentally unhealthy “keeping up with the Jones” type of mentality, where people compare
themselves to other people’s social media personas.

7. How Do We Deal With This?
It seems essential for parents to monitor kids' screen activities and
encourage a balance with other developmentally enriching pursuits to help
avoid potential issues with sustaining attention that could impact school
performance. Proper screening guidelines may help optimize benefits while
mitigating children’s cognitive growth risks. For adults, it still appears that
balanced screen time with other more “in person” activities is beneficial to
well-being.
“The associations between increased screen-based activities and physical
activity have also been examined in adults. In this context, screen time has
been designated a marker of sedentary time. As well as obesity, increasing
sedentary time is associated with type 2 diabetes…Studies have indicated
that reducing screen time while increasing physical activity could be highly
beneficial, especially in men” (Williams, 2022). –News Medical

8. Possible errors
• A lot of the data used in any of
these studies on screen time are
based on self-reporting. This
means that people answer for
themselves how long their screen
time is without any real
verification. This can lead to
inaccurate data from people being
incorrect on their screen time or
even possibly lying. This same
method is used for a lot of data
on depression/anxiety as well
when looking at how people
reacted to screen time.

9. My Thoughts
• To talk about the problem anecdotally, I know many
people who complain about being on their phones
too much and taking “social media breaks” in order
to feel better. This may not be something everybody
does, but it is very common, and the data does
support some negative effects of high screen time.
The effect on attention span is inconclusive so far and
requires more study. The data does suggest that
excessive screen time at a young age hurts empathy
later on, and excessive screen time appears to have a
correlation with anxiety and depression.
• Keep in mind that the findings have to do with
“excessive” screen time, which means it has basically
taken over all other activities in your life. So, I would
say that it’s about finding a balance, as with all things.
Screens are a tool and there are plenty of benefits to
them. Perhaps the biggest thing is not using them to
occupy young children their entire day.

10. Conclusion
• The research presented today provides compelling evidence that our constant screen immersion
may be negatively impacting important cognitive abilities like attention span, as well as socio-
emotional skills like empathy. The developing brains of children seem especially vulnerable to
the effects of too much casual screen time, with studies finding links to weaker attention
performance, altered brain activity, and poorer emotional understanding. Additionally, all of us
may risk issues like depression and anxiety if our digital engagement is unchecked and
displaces real-life experiences. While screens undoubtedly have educational benefits when
used intentionally, unlimited recreational overuse appears to hinder child development and
undermine mental wellness. Moving forward, greater public awareness of these risks could help
us establish healthier relationships with technology through moderation, parental guidance, and
balance with offline activities. By making small adjustments to our screen habits, we have an
opportunity to safeguard cognitive functions and social capacities impacted by prolonged digital
immersion.

11. References
• Baran, S. J. (2020). Introduction to mass communication. Mcgraw-Hill Education.
• Gardner, C. (2023, March 23). Study Probes Connection Between Excessive Screen Media Activity and Mental Health Problems in Youth. Medicine.yale.edu.
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/yale-study-probes-connection-between-excessive-screen-media-activity-and-mental-health-problems-in-
youth/#:~:text=It%20found%20that%20youth%20who
• Novak, S. (2021, December 10). Investigating Screen Time’s Impact on the Attention Span. Discover Magazine. https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/investigating-screen-
times-impact-on-the-attention-span
• Santos, R. M. S., Mendes, C. G., Marques Miranda, D., & Romano-Silva, M. A. (2022). The Association between Screen Time and Attention in Children: A Systematic
Review. Developmental Neuropsychology, 47(4), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/87565641.2022.2064863
• Skalická, V., Wold Hygen, B., Stenseng, F., Kårstad, S. B., & Wichstrøm, L. (2019). Screen time and the development of emotion understanding from age 4 to age 8: A
community study. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 37(3), 427–443. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12283
• Williams, N. (2022, June 29). Screen Time and Mental Health. News-Medical.net. https://www.news-medical.net/health/Screen-Time-and-Mental-Health.aspx