Introduction
Do you know anyone who has ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder)? If so, you might have noticed how it affects their focus. A person with ADHD may also struggle to manage their energy levels. This can create challenges at school, with friends, or at home. For example, poor relationships, low self-esteem, and even substance use.
But did you know that ADHD has become more common in recent years? In North America, the proportion of teens (ages 12–17) diagnosed with ADHD grew from 8% to 9% between 2009 and 2017.
Both genetics and the environment can increase the risk of developing ADHD. Could the increasing use of digital media play a part? Adolescents in North America spend 6–9 hours on their phones daily, often doing more than one thing at once. Many studies link excessive digital media use to problems with attention, memory, and reaction control.
These are important factors that can make ADHD-related behaviors worse. But how do different types of digital media affect the development of ADHD symptoms? Do ADHD symptoms change over time because of screen time? This is what we wanted to find out.
Methods
Is there a connection between screen time and ADHD? To figure this out, we asked a group of teenagers (almost 4000!) about their daily habits. We did that each year for 5 consecutive years. We wanted to know:
How much time did they spend on screens each day?
This included playing video games, watching videos, or scrolling on social media.
What kind of behaviors did they show?
We checked for signs of ADHD. For example, difficulty paying attention, acting without thinking, or feeling restless.
The teens also took tests to measure their thinking skills. We wanted to see how they did with planning, focusing, and remembering instructions. By comparing screen time with these behaviors and test results, we could spot patterns.
Results
What did we find out? The more time a teen spent on screens, the more they reported symptoms of ADHD in that same year and a year later. For example, they found it harder to focus on tasks or sit still for long periods. High screen time also led to impulsive actions. This means teens might act quickly without thinking. For example, blurting out answers in class or interrupting conversations. Teens who spent more time on screens didn’t do as well on a test that measures how well they can control an urge to react. Their thinking skills also suffered. This shows that excessive screen time could impact how their brains process information.
All these problems were especially present for teens who spent a lot of time on social media (Figure 1).
Discussion
Why might screens affect the brain this way? Scientists think it’s because of how screens grab our attention. Games, videos, and social media are designed to keep us hooked. They’re fast-paced and full of action. Also, social media does not require much cognitive control when interacting with the content. For example, content is brief and not very interactive on social media. And it’s designed to be highly captivating for young people.
We believe that in order to develop cognitive control and good stopping behaviour during adolescence, teens must practice such skills through a diverse set of guided and unguided activities and exercises. Guided activities like mindfulness exercises, playing strategic board games, or working on memory tasks can help improve focus and impulse control. Unguided activities, such as creative hobbies, outdoor sports, or journaling, also help teens practice attention and self-regulation. Social media use might be discouraging teens from engaging in these other essential activities.
We found that social media seemed to have the biggest effect on ADHD symptoms. This is because it can mess with an important brain skill called “stopping behavior.” This skill helps us pause before acting, like when we need to stop ourselves from saying something we might regret or wait for our turn. Social media, with its fast-moving, fun content, can make it harder for the brain to practice this skill. Instead of stopping and thinking, teens can get caught up in endless scrolling or reacting to posts, which makes it harder to control impulses. However, more research is needed to understand how social media impacts teen brain development.
Conclusion
Spending too much time on screens might lead to behaviors linked to ADHD. It can make it harder for us to focus, plan, or control our impulses. But there are some things we can do!
Set screen limits: Take breaks and balance screen time with other activities.
Prioritize sleep: Turn off screens an hour before bed to get better rest.
Try new activities: Sports, hobbies, or spending time outside can keep the brain engaged and interactive.
By making intentional choices about how we spend our time, we can keep our brains sharp and focused. We can still enjoy our favorite shows and games in moderation. Remember, balance is the key to a healthy, happy life!
