Extensive Television Viewing and the Development of Attention and Learning Difficulties During Adolescence
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of television viewing with educational and intellectual outcomes during adolescence and early adulthood. DESIGN: Prospective epidemiological study. SETTING: Families participating in the Children in the Community Study, a prospective longitudinal investigation, were interviewed at mean offspring ages 14, 16, and 22 years. PARTICIPANTS: A community-based sample of 678 families from upstate New York. MAIN EXPOSURES: Television viewing, attention difficulties, learning difficulties, and educational achievement during adolescence and early adulthood. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Disorganizing Poverty Interview and age-appropriate versions of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. RESULTS: Frequent television viewing during adolescence was associated with elevated risk for subsequent attention and learning difficulties after family characteristics and prior cognitive difficulties were controlled. Youths who watched 1 or more hours of television per day at mean age 14 years were at elevated risk for poor homework completion, negative attitudes toward school, poor grades, and long-term academic failure. Youths who watched 3 or more hours of television per day were the most likely to experience these outcomes. In addition, youths who watched 3 or more hours of television per day were at elevated risk for subsequent attention problems and were the least likely to receive postsecondary education. There was little evidence of bidirectionality in the association of television viewing with attention and learning difficulties. CONCLUSION: Frequent television viewing during adolescence may be associated with risk for development of attention problems, learning difficulties, and adverse long-term educational outcomes.
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Cross-sectional studies report negative effects of television viewing on attention and learning.
“Cross-sectional studies also report negative effects of television viewing on attention and learning16,17, while a large meta-analysis found that video games do not negatively impact school performance18.”
From The impact of digital media on children’s intelligence while controlling for genetic differences in cognition and socioeconomic background (2022) · cites this paper as [16]
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- Authors
- Johnson, J. G., Cohen, P., Kasen, S., & Brook, J. S.
- Affiliations
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
- Venue
- Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
- Publisher
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- Published
- 2007-05-01
- Volume
- 161
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 480
- ISSN
- 1072-4710 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2169031490
- Cited by
- 202
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 30.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH060911, MH 49191, MH-36971, MH60911, R01MH049191, MH 38916, R01MH036971)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA 03188, R01DA003188)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Keywords
- television viewing, attention deficits, learning difficulties, academic performance, school failure, homework completion, attitudes toward school, postsecondary education, adolescence, early adulthood, bidirectional relationship
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Age Factors, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Educational Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Learning, Learning Disabilities, New York, Residence Characteristics, Risk Factors, Television, Time Factors
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