Digital Smarts - Touchscreen Use May Impact Attention Control in Children

Children that had reported high touchscreen technology use were quicker to look at objects when they appeared, and were less able to ignore distractions compared with those who were considered to be low users, researchers reported in Scientific Reports. The findings were based on data involving 38 children. "The first few years of life are critical for children to learn how to control their attention and ignore distraction, early skills that are known to be important for later academic achievement," said Smith, a professor at the University of London's Birkbeck's Center for Brain and Cognitive Development.