Does a cell phone cause ADHD?

Can Teen Cell Phone Use Cause ADHD? A query that can be seen in search engine results and for good reason.

A study in JAMA shows YES.

Scientists in California examined the digital device use of more than 2.500 high school students who had no symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at the start of the study. The most common symptoms of the disorder include inattentiveness (being easily distracted, having trouble staying organized, or having trouble remembering things), hyperactivity (difficulty sitting still), and impulsivity (making decisions without thinking through the possible consequences).

Researchers asked students how often they engaged in 14 different digital media activities on a scale from “never” to “many times a day.” Among these activities were:

• checking social networks,
• sending messages via SMS,
• viewing images or videos online,
• streaming or downloading music,
• likes or comments on other people's posts,
• online chat,
• streaming TV shows or movies,
• game alone,
• playing with others
• posting on social networks,
• share other people's posts,
• reading online blogs or articles,
• online shopping,
• video conference.

They contacted the teens at regular intervals over two years about both their digital media use and ADHD symptoms.
It was discovered that:
– 4,6% of adolescents who did not report frequent digital media use had ADHD symptoms at the end of the study,
– 9,5% among those who reported average activity,
– 10,5% for those who reported frequent activities in all 14 cases.

In general, Frequent use of digital media seemed to increase the risk of developing ADHD symptoms by about 10%.

The risk was greater for boys than girls and for adolescents with depression or a previous history of disorders. To a certain extent this is understandable. Compared to more “traditional” media, such as watching TV in the living room, digital media is faster paced and more stimulating, making teens likely to become immersed.

Additionally, adolescence is a time when they are forming their social identity and seeking social interaction—and where there was once a place for social interaction, that part of life is now taken over by social media.

It is possible that digital media triggers ADHD symptoms in adolescents who have not previously received a diagnosis, or that genetic or environmental factors (including parenting) lead to frequent digital media use and ADHD. It is also true that the effect was small, and the presence of symptoms does not mean the presence of the disorder itself.

But it's worth paying attention to this study because ADHD has real negative consequences for a teenager. Can lead to poor school results, which can have lifelong consequences. This can make a teenager more likely to engage in risky behavior (they are already prone to these behaviors just because they are teenagers, so reinforcing this is critical). This can lead to drug abuse and problems with the law.

It's worth starting with simple steps such as screen-free dinners, then all feasts and so on. More and more daily activities must be carried out without a phone, especially going to bed and waking up. 
Teach children to interact with the world not only through phones.

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