Title : The impact of screen exposure on attention capacities in Moroccan schoolchildren: A neurocognitive approach
Abstract:
In all cognitive tasks, attention is crucial for processing and learning information. This study aims to examine the harmful impact of growing screen use among children in Morocco on their attentional capacities and educational outcomes. It provides a neurocognitive perspective to guide balanced screen use, which affects students’ academic success in schools. This cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical neurocognitive study focuses on a sample of 32 children aged 9-11 from primary schools in Casablanca, selected from the Moroccan Association for Learning Disorders database. Participants, both boys and girls, were identified as being overexposed to screens (more than 2 hours/day), with exclusion criteria including confirmed neurodevelopmental disorders or neurological conditions affecting attention. Attention capacities were assessed using the d2R Test of Concentrated Attention, while data analysis was conducted using JAMOVI software, incorporating descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation to explore relationships between variables. The demographic data shows an average age of 10.3 years, with a majority of boys (65.6%) in the sample. Regarding screen exposure, most children use between 1 and 2 screens, with an average screen time of 1.97 hours per day. Cognitive performance is generally high, with mean scores of 101 for concentration capacity (CC) and 98.5 for work pace or processing speed (CCT), while the average effort score (E%) is 83.3. However, a large proportion of children (40.6%) exhibit an impulsive profile, and 34.4% are neither attentive nor focused, raising concerns about the effects of screen exposure on attention. Correlation analysis reveals that screen time is negatively correlated with cognitive effort (E%) (r =-0.670, p <.001) and total cognitive capacity (CCT) (r =-0.487,p =0.005). These results suggest that the more time children spend in front of screens, the less focused they seem to be and the lower their cognitive effort. Although there are no significant differences between groups with different numbers of screens or exposure durations (t-tests), the overall trend remains concerning, especially for children spending more time on screens. Attention tests, such as the d2-R test, show that 40.6% of children have an impulsive profile, indicating a potential vulnerability to the negative effects of screen exposure. The study highlights that excessive screen time negatively influences children’s cognitive abilities, particularly in memory, academic concentration, and selective attention. A significant proportion of children displayed profiles indicating poor attention and concentration (34.4%), underscoring the potential adverse effects of high screen exposure on cognitive development. These findings emphasize the necessity of moderating screen use in school-aged children, implementing cognitive interventions, and encouraging activities that foster attention and memory development.
This study was conducted by master's students in Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience at the International University of Casablanca.
Keywords: Screen exposure - Attention Capacities - neurocognitive assessment - school aged population – Morocco
