Infant screen exposure linked to faster orienting and longer distraction

Background television was associated with quicker attention to noticeable stimuli, while more screen time was linked to slower disengagement.

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

Researchers studied 110 typically developing infants aged 9–16 months using tasks designed to measure how they orient toward noticeable events and how well they control their attention. Mothers reported the infants’ daily screen time and exposure to television playing in the background at home.

Greater screen time and background television exposure were each associated with faster orienting and prolonged distraction. When the two types of exposure were considered together, background television remained associated with faster orienting, while total screen time remained associated with prolonged distraction.

How screens related to attention

Infants with greater reported screen exposure tended to orient faster toward salient, or noticeable, stimuli. They also tended to remain distracted for longer, a pattern the researchers interpret as reduced ability to control attention. In the combined analysis, background television exposure was significantly associated with faster orienting, while increased daily screen time was significantly associated with prolonged distraction.

Why different exposure matters

The findings suggest that screen environments may be associated with different aspects of early attention rather than having one uniform relationship with attention. Considering both television playing in the background and infants’ direct screen time may therefore be important when studying attention development in infancy.

Evidence and caveats

This was an observational study based on data from 110 typically developing infants aged 9–16 months. The researchers used attention tasks and mothers’ reports of daily screen time and background television exposure. Because the study found associations, it cannot establish that screen exposure caused the attention patterns. The findings may also not apply to infants outside the studied age range or to children with different developmental profiles.

Southern Democratic newspapers increased anti-Black propaganda when Populists threatened

Historical newspaper records suggest that Southern Democratic political elites used anti-Black propaganda more heavily when the Populist Party threatened their support among white voters. The increase was concentrated in Democratic-affiliated newspapers and was consistent with Democrats gaining politically in later elections.

13 hours ago·7 views

Society & Economics

Speech samples may track several kinds of fatigue in shift workers

In a study of 1,197 people across six countries, researchers used brief speech samples to estimate different aspects of fatigue. The recordings performed well for current sleep deprivation and sleepiness, while models tailored to each person were better at detecting physical and mental exhaustion.

19 hours ago·8 views

Society & Economics

20 children’s mobile games all used deceptive design, study finds

A study of 20 popular free children’s mobile games in German-speaking regions found deceptive design in every app. Advertising appeared in 90% of the games and was usually non-skippable and woven into gameplay.

1 day ago·45 views