This story is part of 草莓传媒鈥檚 2026 Back to School coverage.
Constant phone notifications and endless scrolling can lead to 鈥減opcorn brain,鈥� a term coined to describe a restless, scattered state of mind.
Your thoughts feel like popcorn kernels bursting, rapidly bouncing between apps, screens and tasks. It becomes more difficult to slow down and focus.
鈥淲e are so accustomed now to constantly seeking information quickly,鈥� said Matt Edelstein, clinical psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore.
After a summer of relaxed rules and extra screen time, kids returning to the classroom may struggle with the transition. Popcorn brain can make it more difficult for students to concentrate, retain information and follow directions. It can also lead to feelings of anxiety and a desire for constant stimulation.
鈥淥ftentimes, what we see with these kids is that they鈥檙e watching information at 1.5 or two times the speed,鈥� Edelstein said. 鈥淕oing from that to a classroom where people are talking at a normal speed, and not everything is appealing to a child right away, is a shift.鈥�
He recommends parents first reestablish routines for bedtime and meals. Then limit device use, disable autoplay and add parental controls.
鈥淧arents often feel like this is a battle that can鈥檛 be won because screens are everywhere,鈥� Edelstein said. 鈥淚 want to encourage families to feel like even small steps are steps in the right direction.鈥�
Just as important, parents must model screen-free time by setting boundaries. For example, putting phones away during family meals.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so easy to justify why we鈥檙e on our screens as adults because we have busy lives and a lot of competing demands. But most of those things will wait,鈥� Edelstein said. 鈥淲e want to start thinking about our kids, what they鈥檙e doing and how long they鈥檙e doing it.鈥�
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