Impact of Technology Use on Attention Span and Concentration Among High School Students

Abstract ―​

This study examined the relationship between technology use, attention span, and concentration among high school students. Forty-one students in grades 9–12 completed an anonymous survey measuring daily recreational technology use, technology multitasking while studying, perceived digital distraction, and self-reported concentration. Students reported an average of 5.4 hours of recreational technology use per day. Higher daily technology use was moderately associated with lower concentration scores (r =−0.42), while multitasking with technology during schoolwork showed a stronger negative relationship with concentration (r = −0.56). These results are consistent with research suggesting that media multitasking can interfere with attention control and academic performance among adolescents. Students who used technology for more than six hours per day also reported lower average concentration than students who used it for fewer than three hours daily. The findings suggest that frequent interruptions and multitasking, rather than technology itself, may be particularly important predictors of concentration difficulties.