Over the past two decades, the way we consume information has rapidly changed. Today, social media dominates this sphere, with platforms such as TikTok gaining massive popularity, especially in younger generations. With this constant influx of media that many take in, it would be reasonable to infer that our attention spans are being affected. Definite links between disorders such as ADHD and the time we spend on social media have not been made, but one thing is certain: ADHD diagnoses have risen over the past twenty years (Centers for Disease Control).
Such effects could be attributed to the frequency of stimulation that is available, in this case through social media; TikTok’s short videos provide instant gratification through a seemingly infinite stream of them that users can scroll through. Chinese researchers have examined the effects that similar apps have on the brain, with imaging scans showing that “[brain] areas involved in addiction were highly activated in those who watched personalized videos” and also noted how some “have trouble controlling when to stop watching”. A craving for constant reward like this is fueled through the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is involved and released during reward expectation, and essentially reinforces such drives (Jargon).
Research on attentional control in those with and without ADHD has been conducted previously. One of these studies, conducted by Dr. Kwasa and colleagues, examined top-down and bottom-up processes in young adults with and without the attentional disorder through looking at the attentional focus on switching streams of speech. It was found that those with ADHD had weaker top-down modulation of attention compared to neurotypical subjects, though the bottom up response was not any different. Overall, it was demonstrated that the individuals with ADHD, compared to neurotypical subjects, had “weaker volitional control of attentional processes” (Kwasa et al., 2021).
Given the vast amount of stimulatory sources we encounter and partake in throughout our daily lives, a large part driven through social media, it is easy to see how, especially in younger children, this constant cycle of rapid reward has affected attention span and distractibility; this, along with a rise of cases of ADHD, implicates social media in having a part in the issue, though it should still be noted that correlation does not mean causation. Nevertheless, there are still, of course, ways to remedy the issue; restraint is certainly needed, and filling time and focus that you would otherwise spend behind a screen with another productive hobby is an effective way to form a better habit. At the end of the day, as with anything in life, social media consumption should be done in moderation; too much of anything is never really good, after all.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, September 23). ADHD throughout the years. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/timeline.html
Jargon, J. (2022, April 11). Tiktok Brain explained: Why some kids seem hooked on social video feeds. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-brain-explained-why-some-kids-seem-hooked-on-social-video-feeds-11648866192?mod=Searchresults_pos17&page=9
Kwasa, J. A., Noyce, A. L., Torres, L. M., & Shinn-Cunningham, B. G. (2021). Top-down attention modulates auditory-evoked neural responses in neurotypical, but not ADHD, young adults. BioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.11.430824
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