Screens Are Designed to Hold Attention

Screens are not evil, but many products are engineered for maximum engagement. Notifications, autoplay videos, and infinite scroll create anticipation, novelty, and reward cues that keep attention coming back.

Here is why that matters most for kids under 12. The prefrontal cortex — a brain region involved in impulse control — keeps maturing through adolescence and into the twenties. Children have less-developed self-regulation systems, so adults still need to shape screen access instead of expecting adult-level control.