What is it about?
This study explores how spending long hours on a smartphone affects students’ ability to maintain steady and focused attention. The research directly measured the real weekly and daily screen time of 103 graduate students, instead of relying on self-reports. It then compared these measurements with students’ “continuous partial attention” levels, which describe a state where people constantly monitor various sources of information without fully focusing on any of them. The study found a moderate positive link between longer smartphone screen time and higher levels of fragmented attention. It also examined how different apps contribute to this effect. As shown in the screen-time chart on page 8, photo-sharing and messaging apps were used most often, while streaming services had the highest total minutes. The average attention score chart on page 8 also revealed that short-video platforms were linked to the highest levels of fragmented attention. A focus-group discussion helped explain these findings, highlighting factors such as hypnotic algorithms, distracting content, passive scrolling and unpredictable short videos.
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Why is it important?
Understanding how smartphone use affects attention is essential because students rely heavily on digital tools in their daily academic life. When long screen time disrupts the ability to stay focused, learning becomes less effective and tasks take longer to complete. This matters even more at the graduate level, where deep concentration is crucial. The study shows that attention problems do not depend on age, gender or education level, meaning that extended smartphone use affects everyone similarly. It provides strong evidence that universities should develop digital-well-being programs and teach students how to manage screen habits more effectively. Improving digital literacy and awareness can help reduce fragmented attention and support better academic performance and well-being.
Perspectives
Smartphones are indispensable tools, yet their prolonged use subtly reshapes how students pay attention. The findings point toward a need for a more balanced and intentional relationship with digital devices. The study highlights that fragmented attention emerges not only from the amount of screen time but also from the design of certain apps, especially short-video platforms that rely on highly stimulating, fast-flowing content. The author emphasizes that recognizing this pattern is the first step toward addressing it. Encouraging mindful technology use, creating awareness about algorithm-driven distractions and integrating digital self-regulation into educational settings could help students protect their cognitive resources and make more meaningful use of technology.
Prof.Dr. Mehmet Fırat
Anadolu Universitesi
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Effect of Extended Smartphone Screen Time on Continuous Partial Attention, Psychological Science and Education, June 2025, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education,
DOI: 10.17759/pse.2025300306.
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