Social media use damages children’s ability to focus, say researchers

The US-Swedish study found that children aged 10 to 14 averaged 1.4 hours a day on social media. Photograph: Cavan Images/Alamy

Increased use of social media by children damages their concentration levels and may be contributing to an increase in cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a study.

The peer-reviewed report monitored the development of more than 8,300 US-based children from the age of 10 to 14 and linked social media use to “increased inattention symptoms”.