Why can my Child Focus on Video Games but not Homework?

“He can definitely focus on video games (or Youtube) for hours, so I’m not even sure if he has a focus problem..maybe he just doesn’t want to do his homework..?”

This is something we here all the time!

Did you know there is a 1 MAJOR REASON things like video games, Youtube, TV, etc. are so much easier for your child to focus on?

It is related to Attentional Networks in the brain!

The two sides of our brain run very different types of attentional networks. The left side of your brain is short-term attention , and the right side of your brain is long-term attention. Short-term attention is fueled by dopamine. Video games create dopamine releases in the brain so, even though your child may play videogames over a long period of time, it’s actually one long chain of short-term attention & dopamine releases strung together!

Homework, reading, and other non-preferred activities require long-term attention.  This ability is housed in the right hemisphere of the brain and our brain does not release any dopamine from those activities. 

So, although your child can focus really well & for a really long time on video games (or other screen time) this is because the left hemisphere focus is a very different type of focus than the focus we need for learning and reading which comes from the Right hemisphere of the brain.  

If your child is struggling to focus on homework, they might just need a little extra strengthening of the right side of their brain (and probably some visual work too.)

Bonus: This is why your child gets so upset when you make them shut their game off! You’re taking away their dopamine supply!

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