Animated videos engage children, but may not improve learning: ISB study

HYDERABAD: Animated backgrounds and visual effects can increase children’s engagement with online videos by drawing their attention back to the screen, but they do not necessarily improve learning, according to a study by researchers from the Indian School of Business (ISB).

The study, titled ‘Attention Trap? How Visual Motion Shapes Children’s Screen Time and Engagement on Video Platforms’, was conducted by Sumeet Kumar and Madhu Viswanathan of ISB and Ravi Bapna of Santa Clara University. It was published online in Information Systems Research on September 25, 2026.