Unlocking the attention benefits of children鈥檚 video
Abstract
Children’s screen media is “one-size-fits-all”, ignoring individual differences. Intense videos may decrease one child’s ability to control attention immediately after viewing (Executive Function/EF depletion) whilst not impacting another. This PhD asks: which children, watching which content, are most likely to struggle or benefit? Drawing on Differential Susceptibility theory, you will analyse existing eye-tracking, behavioural and brain-imaging data from preschoolers, and interview parents and children’s video producers. You will then co-design two outputs working with the Children’s Media Foundation: an attention-informed guide for families and children’s media creators and a personalised video system that optimises a video’s attention-demands for each child.
How to Apply
Please contact Dr Tim Smith if you are interested in applying for this project.
For more information on submitting a PhD application, please consult our application pages here. When you submit your application, please cite this project title in the 'how you are planning to fund your PhD' section.
The deadline for submitting your application is 11 January 2027.