OSLO, Dec. 9 -- Children who spend significant time on social media are more likely to experience a gradual decline in their ability to concentrate, a major new four-year study has found.

Researchers who followed over 8,000 children found that this effect was specific to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, and was not seen with watching TV or playing video games.

The comprehensive study, published in Pediatrics Open Science, adds significant new evidence to the growing concern over the impact of screen time on young, developing minds.

Social media's unique effect

Researchers from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet and Oregon Health & Science University in the US tracked 8,324 children from age 10 to 14.

The children reported ...