Video Technologies on Children's Attention Spans

I see that engrossed look in her eyes and I can't tell if it's reverie or focus. I don't know if the lights are on and learning is under way, or if the lights are dimmed and vegetation is spawning. -- Jeff Weinstock, 2007

The epigraph above is reflective of the concern that many adults have that video technologies are harming children's attention spans. The dictionary definition for the term, "attention span," states that this refers to the amount of time that an individual or group of people is able to maintain focus, interest or concentration on something (Merriam-Webster, 2012). Parents and educators can readily testify that many young people have shorter attention spans than adults, but the reasons for this difference remain a source of controversy. Some researchers maintain that young people's attention spans and academic performance are being adversely affected by video...
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