Two recent studies reveal that problematic social media use among teenagers may exacerbate ADHD symptoms and impair cognitive performance, raising concerns over regulation and mental health impacts.
Problematic social media use may do more than eat into teenagers’ time: two studies from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development cohort suggest it is linked to worsening attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and weaker cognitive performance in adolescents. The findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that the most concerning pattern is not simply screen time, but repeated difficulty controlling use despite harm to sleep, schoolwork, family life or daily functioning.
In one study published in JAMA Network Open, Jason M. Nagata and colleagues followed more than 11,000 adolescents over several years and found that higher levels of problematic social media use were followed by a modest rise in ADHD symptoms the next year. The pattern ran in both directions to some degree: higher ADHD symptoms also predicted slightly more problematic media use later on. The association was stronger in boys than in girls, although Nagata said that finding is exploratory and needs replication.
A second study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, linked persistently increasing problematic social media use with poorer scores on tests of memory and vocabulary. The researchers tracked nearly 4,810 adolescents and identified three usage patterns, with the highest-risk group showing significantly lower performance on two of the NIH Toolbox cognitive tests. The differences did not appear across all measures, but they were strong enough for the authors to say the results extend the concern beyond behaviour into measurable cognition.
The new studies fit with broader evidence that problematic social media use is associated with ADHD-related symptoms. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis pooling 15 studies and more than 35,000 participants found a moderate positive correlation between the two. Other research, including observational work in girls and separate meta-analytic findings on problematic internet use more broadly, has pointed in a similar direction. Still, these studies cannot prove that social media use causes ADHD symptoms; they do, however, suggest that adolescents who struggle to regulate their use may merit closer attention from parents, schools and clinicians.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
