By Zulfa Yuniarti
In today’s digital era, teenagers are the group that uses social media the most. According to a survey by Talker Research (2024), out of 2,000 respondents who filled out the survey, on average teenagers spend 6,6 hours per day accessing social media with 11% of them spending more than 15 hours.
They are used to accessing short-form video content from TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Short. Indonesia itself is the with the largest number of TikTok users worldwide with the number of users reaching 157,6 million.
Continuous exposure to short videos from various social media platforms makes teenagers accustomed to receiving information quickly and changing in seconds. This habit makes it difficult to teenagers to maintain their focus for a long time, especially when studying and interacting socially.
This phenomenon is known as short attention span, which is decrease in person’s ability to focus on one thing being done. Repeated notifications, endless content, and multitasking habits make the brain accustomed to distractions and interruptions.
This cycle makes it difficult to teens to break away from gadgets. They are encouraged to keep checking their phones, which ultimately shortens their focus span. As a result, many teenagers have difficulty concentrating, understanding information deeply, and completing tasks that require high focus.
In contrast to short attention span, attention span is the length of time when a person can interact and focus on a task or activity without being distracted. Having a good attention span is very important so that a person can complete a task optimally. However, in reality, as technology advances, a person’s attention span also decreasing.
It is important to understand how teenagers use social media. So, how much influence does social media have on teenager’s habits and focus?
According to Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS), in 2023, the number of teenagers aged 10–18 years will almost reach 32% of the population in Indonesia. This figure is quite large considering that many content creators target teenagers as their main audience.
The result of the Talk Research survey (2024) revealed that at least, “1 in 5 people admit that social media has a negative effect on their attention span”. This survey also shows that teenagers tend to check their phones while watching television or long-form shows and often rewind to review certain parts of the shows they watch. In addition, as many as 52% of teenagers admit that their mood is often negatively affected by social media.
As an illustration of the pattern of social media usage among teenagers, in one 15-minute social media session, they can access up to 60 videos with a duration of 15-60 seconds. This pattern makes the brain accustomed to absorbing various topics (moving from one topic to another) quickly. This can hinder a person’s ability to maintain focus in activities that require long concentration.
If this is left unchecked, this habit can result in decreased productivity, a tendency to get bored easily, the ability of teenagers to interact, and even decreased critical thinking skills. There are several steps that can be taken to overcome short attention span.
When studying or working, remove or minimize distractions that interfere with focus, such as putting away gadgets or cell-phones, turning off notifications, and choosing a quiet place to focus and concentrate.
Apply good time management techniques, for example, use 25 minutes of study time, then stretch or rest for 5 minutes. This method is quite helpful in maintaining focus and giving the brain a chance to rest for a while.
Use reminder alarms or applications that can help limit social media use while studying or focusing on something, such as reading a book, learning something new, and interacting with friends.
Getting enough rest and regular physical activity can help maintain brain health and improve focus and memory.
By implementing these steps consistently, teens can improve their attention span and increase the quality of their learning and daily productivity.
Translator: Ratna Safitri
Author: Zulfa Yuniarti
Editor: Teuku Zulman Sangga Buana
goodstats.id. 2025. “Gen Z Paling Rajin Konsumsi Media, Daya Fokus Paling Rendah”.
talkerreseacrh.com. 2025. “Media Consumption Trend Report”.
bps.go.id. 2025.
cnbcindonesia.com. 2025. “Indonesia Nomor 1 Dunia, Warga RI Sudah Kecanduan TikTok”.
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