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International study shows impact of social media on young people

The use of social media is contributing to declining attention spans, emotional volatility, and compulsive behaviors among young people, according to a new report by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Singapore-based research agency Research Network, in collaboration with U.S.-based AI platform ListenLabs.ai.

The study, conducted across Singapore and Australia, surveyed 583 young people aged 13 to 25, and their parents.

It found that prolonged social media use is associated with difficulties in sustaining focus, increased emotional fatigue, and behaviors resembling addiction.

This research comes at a time when policymakers across the United States and Europe are scrutinizing the broader effects of social media on public health and national security, especially in relation to platforms such as TikTok.

Lead investigator of the study, Professor Gemma Calvert, a neuroscientist from the Nanyang Center for Marketing Technologies (NCMT) at NTU Singapore's Nanyang Business School said, "With global discussions about the impact of platforms like TikTok happening now, our findings provide crucial evidence of the real-world effects on young minds.

"The challenges revealed in our study are not just individual issues but societal concerns that warrant attention from everyone, including policymakers, educators and tech companies."

Addiction-like patterns and academic risks

The study found that 68% of youth participants reported difficulty focusing, while many described struggling to complete schoolwork or engage with content lasting more than a minute. One teen said, "TikTok has made my attention span so low that I can't even watch a one-minute video."

"The brain is being trained to seek constant novelty and instant rewards through dopamine-driven feedback loops," explained Prof Calvert. "Over time, this reduces our ability to focus or engage in deep thinking. It mirrors patterns seen in addiction, where more stimulation is needed to feel satisfied."

The findings provide crucial subjective experience data, complementing earlier brain imaging studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which shows that social media triggers the brain's dopamine reward system in ways that mimic addiction.

Comparative results between Singapore and Australia also revealed distinct differences in opinions: Singaporean youth credited in-school phone restrictions by the Ministry of Education for curbing compulsive use, while many Australian teens expressed concern over the lack of similar boundaries or guidance.

James Breeze, Chief Executive of Research Network and co-author of the report, said, "It's time for the platforms and device makers who built the attention economy to take responsibility for redesigning it with user well-being at the core. We must move beyond cosmetic features like screen-time limits that are easily bypassed and stop designing to monetize attention. It's time to design to restore it, especially for the generation born into the scroll."

"We need default-on safeguards embedded in social platforms, such as scroll breaks, time-use cues, social comparison prompts, and attention-aware interface design, to help young users pause, reflect, and choose more intentionally. These aren't constraints, they are ways to return attention to its rightful owner.

"The science exists, but what's missing is the will to act, through leadership or regulation. We must design for awareness, not dependence, so young people can reclaim their focus in a system that profits from distraction," added Breeze, who is also an educator and behavioral researcher.

How the research was done with AI

The study was conducted using ListenLabs.ai, an AI-powered interviewing platform backed by Sequoia Capital, the venture firm behind companies such as Apple and Google.

Unlike traditional surveys, this approach enabled natural, voice-recorded responses to text-based prompts, resulting in richer and more authentic insights.

In just two days, the research team gathered and analyzed anonymized, open-ended responses from a diverse participant base.

Using AI to detect emotional tone and behavioral patterns, the platform generated deep insights into emerging social trends, turning the usual six months of manual analysis into just two days.

Key findings from the study include:

• Shrinking Attention Spans: 68% of young respondents said social media harms their ability to focus, with many struggling to complete schoolwork or engage with content longer than a minute. Short-form videos are reshaping how they process information, with implications for learning and retention.
• Addiction-Like Use: Many described their habits as compulsive, with one saying, "It's like the apps are made to keep you hooked." These behaviors mirror addictive patterns and raise regulatory concerns, especially around platforms like TikTok.
• Academic Strain: Reduced attention is affecting school performance. Several admitted difficulty focusing without reaching for their phones, putting learning and future workforce readiness at risk.
• Worries About the Future: 65% believe their current digital habits could hurt their ability to study or work later in life, highlighting the long-term risks of unmoderated social media use.
• Parental Concerns: 60% of parents expressed high concern about social media's impact on their children's behavior, attention, and emotional health, echoing wider calls for platform accountability.

The research was inspired by Ella Carnegie-Brown, a 19-year-old intern at Research Network, who observed growing concern among her peers about their compulsive social media habits, which were increasingly affecting their studies and real-life social connections.

"As a Gen Z-er myself, I believe it's vital to raise awareness and deepen our understanding of how social media is not only shaping our daily lives, but also influencing our futures," said Carnegie-Brown, who added that the study gave her generation "a voice to express the emotional toll" and "the uncertainty" they feel.

The full study will be made available soon to education policymakers, schools, and technology stakeholders in both Singapore and Australia, with plans underway for follow-up research to track attention and emotional health trends across a longer period.