Keep children away from technology with a superhero complex

Researchers proved kids are more focused when dressing as Batman

Keep children away from technology with a superhero complex
Stars Insider

28/02/18 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Children

To better understand how to keep children focused and resist technological temptation, six researchers conducted a study on 180 children titled "The Batman Effect." The findings were published on World Economic Forum.

The children, ages four to six, were given a tedious task and asked to continue with it for 10 minutes. However, they were told if they wanted to quit the task they could play games on a tablet in the next room.

All of the young participants were split into three groups that had a different way of thinking about themselves during the task. The first group was told to think about their personal thoughts and feelings as they navigated the boring project, asking questions such as "Am I working hard?" The second group was told to look at themselves in the third person, for example, they would ask themselves "Is Jason working hard?" The third group, however, got to pick a hero of theirs such as Batman, Bob the Builder, Rapunzel, and Dora the Explorer. They even got to dress up as the character and think, "Is Batman working hard?"

The results of the study showed that while all children are drawn tablets like a moth to the flame, the ones who were thinking of themselves as superheroes or characters worked much longer.

“Children who were asked to reflect on the task as if they were another person were less likely to indulge in immediate gratification and more likely to work toward a relatively long-term goal,” the authors wrote according to the World Economic Forum.

Ready for school, Batman?

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