Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Previous research reveals that screen media exposure is positively associated with attention problems and impulsivity. METHODS: Three cross-sectional correlational studies examined the extent to which fast-paced versus violent media exposure are associated with attention-related problems in college students. Multiverse data analyses tested the robustness of results. Fast-paced and violent media effects were examined separately and uniquely using SEM. RESULTS: A Pilot study (N = 233) found weak but significant zero-order correlations of both fast-paced and violent media exposure on self-control. However, the main SEM results were not significant, although in the expected direction, perhaps because of single-item assessments of media pacing and violence. Main Studies 1 (N = 438) and 2 (N = 456) found that exposure to fast-paced media was positively associated with ADHD-symptoms; this effect was reduced when media violence was added to the model. Both studies also found that greater exposure to violent content was uniquely and positively associated with impulsivity. DISCUSSION: Overall, findings suggest that fast-paced and violent media yield small but reliable effects that may play an important role in attention-related problems in young adults. Future research should continue to investigate the relationships between media use on attention-related problems, especially longitudinal studies to test direction of causality.