A recent study is calling attention to the trouble kids have with paying attention.

This Futurity article summarizes research at Iowa State on both elementary and college-age students. The gist of their findings: More than 2 hours per day of screen time (defined as television and video games) for either group was connected with higher attention problems. In fact, those watching for over 2 hours per day were twice as likely to be above average in attention problems a year later.

Its astounding to me that they didnt include computer screen time (or phone screen time) in this study, but apparently this is the first longitudinal study attempting to explore video gaming and later attention problems. In other words, we still know very, very little about the long-term effects of extended play (in this or other areas). According to a Kaiser Family Foundation study earlier this year, average combined media use for kids is over 7.5 hours/day (way, way more than 2 hours!), and only 30% of kids say parents set rules for their media use.

A longer article from the research team was published in the July edition of the professional journal Pediatrics. Its available online here.