Because development of an attention span is crucial for early development, it is important
to research the ways in which mobile media use may affect attention span. Young children’s
capacity to learn about the visual world is dependent on their ability to focus, prioritize, and
control their attention (Kannass, Oakes, & Shaddy, 2006). Due to their undeveloped linguistic
and motor abilities, young children rely on attention to manage the selection and gathering of
information needed in order to learn about the world. Attention theory, specifically regarding the
development of typical attention span, will shed light on how interactive mobile media may
influence attention span development. This proposed study will focus specifically on visual
spatial attention span.