1. Genes and Screens: Kudlow P, Treurnicht Naylor K, Abi-Jaoude E. Genes and screens: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in the digital age. Br J Psychiatry. 2025 Mar 13:1-3. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2025.15. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40079895.

Abstract:

This editorial examines the rise of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the digital age, suggesting that excessive digital media use may mimic or exacerbate ADHD symptoms. We propose examining ADHD through the lens of a spectrum condition, highlighting the importance of considering both genetic and environmental factors in its diagnosis and treatment.

2. Short-Form Video and Sustained Attention: Chiossi, Francesco & Haliburton, Luke & Ou, Changkun & Butz, Andreas & Schmidt, Albrecht. (2023). Short-Form Videos Degrade Our Capacity to Retain Intentions: Effect of Context Switching On Prospective Memory. 10.1145/3544548.3580778.

Abstract

Social media platforms use short, highly engaging videos to catch users' attention. While the short-form video feeds popularized by TikTok are rapidly spreading to other platforms, we do not yet understand their impact on cognitive functions. We conducted a between-subjects experiment (N=60) investigating the impact of engaging with TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube while performing a Prospective Memory task (i.e., executing a previously planned action). The study required participants to remember intentions over interruptions. We found that the TikTok condition significantly degraded the users' performance in this task. As none of the other conditions (Twitter, YouTube, no activity) had a similar effect, our results indicate that the combination of short videos and rapid context-switching impairs intention recall and execution. We contribute a quantified understanding of the effect of social media feed format on Prospective Memory and outline consequences for media technology designers to not harm the users' memory and wellbeing.

3. Smartphones Impact: Wilmer HH, Sherman LE, Chein JM. Smartphones and Cognition: A Review of Research Exploring the Links between Mobile Technology Habits and Cognitive Functioning. Front Psychol. 2017 Apr 25;8:605. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00605. PMID: 28487665; PMCID: PMC5403814.

Abstract

While smartphones and related mobile technologies are recognized as flexible and powerful tools that, when used prudently, can augment human cognition, there is also a growing perception that habitual involvement with these devices may have a negative and lasting impact on users' ability to think, remember, pay attention, and regulate emotion. The present review considers an intensifying, though still limited, area of research exploring the potential cognitive impacts of smartphone-related habits, and seeks to determine in which domains of functioning there is accruing evidence of a significant relationship between smartphone technology and cognitive performance, and in which domains the scientific literature is not yet mature enough to endorse any firm conclusions. We focus our review primarily on three facets of cognition that are clearly implicated in public discourse regarding the impacts of mobile technology - attention, memory, and delay of gratification - and then consider evidence regarding the broader relationships between smartphone habits and everyday cognitive functioning. Along the way, we highlight compelling findings, discuss limitations with respect to empirical methodology and interpretation, and offer suggestions for how the field might progress toward a more coherent and robust area of scientific inquiry.