DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND ATTENTION PERFORMANCE: A STUDY WITH BRAZILIAN AND PORTUGUESE CHILDREN

Abstract

This work addresses the attention skill and intense interaction with digital technologies for accessing information and communication in childhood. The objective is to analyze whether the interaction with digital technologies and games in childhood interferes with the performance of different types of attention. Ex post facto research was carried out with 169 children from a Brazilian and two Portuguese schools, collecting data through the application of a questionnaire with parents or guardians and application of a battery of psychological tests that measured the performance of focused attention, split and alternated. The results indicated that the smartphone is the most used device, interaction with digital games and access to videos are the most frequent activities. There was no association between access time to digital technologies and games and the performance of the different types of attention measured. However, Portuguese children had a significantly higher attention performance than Brazilian children. It is noteworthy that knowing the different factors that influence this relationship can offer subsidies to the organization of curricula and public education policies, as well as prevent learning difficulties and ensure the quality of life and health of children and future adults.