A Behavioral and Neural Investigation of Young Children's Attention and Comprehension on Interactive Video Viewing Platforms

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT As children’s media consumption shifts to platforms like YouTube, young children are increasingly exposed to rapid video-switching, a feature that may disrupt attention and learning. This developmental cognitive neuroscience study will investigate how video-switching affects young children’s attention and comprehension. Using a within-subject experimental design, we will manipulate two viewing conditions—switching and non- switching—on a custom-built platform that simulates YouTube. Three-year-old children will watch educational videos while their sustained and selective attention are measured at both neural and behavioral levels using EEG and eye-tracking. After viewing, we will assess children’s comprehension. Additionally, we will analyze switching behaviors in both naturalistic and controlled settings to test potential associations. Our study addresses a significant gap in understanding how media design features, specifically video-switching, impact early cognitive development. Given the urgent need to evaluate the effects of these features on young children, our research will provide critical evidence to inform guidelines for healthy media use in early childhood. Specifically, we will address three aims: 1) assess the impact of video-switching on attention, 2) examine its effects on comprehension, and 3) investigates associations between switching behaviors in naturalistic and experimental settings.