The Silent Epidemic: How Inattention Is Impacting Generation Z

The digital era, marked by platforms such as TikTok and the intensive use of mobile phones, is generating profound social change, especially among millions of young people.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
04 December 2023 Monday 16:13
6 Reads
The Silent Epidemic: How Inattention Is Impacting Generation Z

The digital era, marked by platforms such as TikTok and the intensive use of mobile phones, is generating profound social change, especially among millions of young people. This generation faces increasing challenges in attention, reaching levels that some experts call a "plague."

A recent analysis by The Guardian directly links attention problems in young people to the use of social networks. This link is based on studies that have shown alarming results.

High-ability children and those diagnosed with ADHD are particularly vulnerable. The lack of adequate stimuli for their specific abilities aggravates their difficulty in maintaining attention.

The Guardian article emphasizes that attention has not only been "stolen" from these young people, but that this is also a social and structural problem. It is a phenomenon that must be addressed collectively, beyond individual cases and their medical treatment.

But what makes social media so attractive to young people? José R. Ubieto, clinical psychologist, explains it in La Vanguardia: "Young people on these platforms are constantly interacting: they observe and are observed, they exhibit themselves, they listen and are listened to, they accumulate content such as music, videos and photos, and they participate in dialogues. sometimes intense."

Some scientists see these attention problems as a social and structural crisis, not just a passing phenomenon. Ubieto warns of the consequences of this trend: "The hijacking of our attention affects everyone. We are reading less, losing direct communication skills and despising the creative thinking that arises from boredom."

Finally, Ubieto urges deeper reflection and shared responsibility. Digital technology, unlike simpler tools like a hammer, actively interacts with us. To accuse only adolescents and their parents is to ignore that responsibility is broad: it includes administrations, the technology industry, professionals, educators, and society as a whole.

With attention problems multiplying for the youngest, more competent and specialized psychological services are increasingly required with training that responds to these challenges.

With the Master's Degree in Neuropsychology and Education you will learn to optimize school performance and develop the talent of all your students in the classroom. In addition, you will acquire training in emotions, gamification and active methodologies (project-based learning, gamification or flipped classroom).

The Master in Child and Adolescent Psychology provides you with the knowledge and technical skills necessary to evaluate, diagnose and prevent various disorders in the child and adolescent population, whether clinical, educational or developmental in nature.

The Master in Neuropsychology teaches you the work of the Neuropsychologist, the specialist in evaluation, reporting and rehabilitator of impaired cognitive functions, is essential.