Overview

• Authored by economist Solal Chardon-Boucaud, the analysis compiles existing research to quantify the socio-economic toll of the attention economy on young people.
• It estimates a current drag of about 0.6 percentage point of GDP from mental-health harms and lost productive time such as frequent interruptions and slower task execution.
• Official data cited include INSEE findings that 57% of people under 20 report at least one negative screen-related effect and Crédoc figures showing 30% of 12–17 year olds spend over 35 hours weekly on screens.
• Education indicators referenced include PISA 2022 results showing students using a smartphone at school more than three hours daily score 30 to 50 points lower in math than peers under two hours.
• The paper attributes risks to platform designs that maximize time online and to direct physiological stress responses, while noting that potential generative AI effects are uncounted and could deepen long-term cognitive costs.