The Association Between ADHD Symptomology and Social Media Usage in Preadolescents in the ABCD Study
Mentor 1
Krista Lisdahl
Start Date
28-4-2023 12:00 AM
Description
Technology development and accessibility have boomed, where approximately 70% of children own a smartphone by age 12, and 85% of youth use technology for recreational purposes. Research has shown that youth with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report greater screen time; however, investigation of types of screen time exposure has been limited. Further, less is known about youth with ADHD’s risk for problems due to social media usage. The current study aims to investigate the relationship between ADHD symptomology and time spent watching videos (i.e., YouTube) and social media usage problems during preadolescence. The sample included 7,308 participants (range=10.6-14 years old, 47.6% female, 69.5% non-Hispanic White) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Study (ABCD) study at 2-year follow-up. The Child Behavior Checklist provided caregiver report of youth behavioral/emotional problems, and the attention/hyperactivity symptoms subscale was used to measure ADHD symptomology. Youth reported the number of hours spent on weekdays/weekends watching videos (i.e., on YouTube/Twitch) and problems related to social media usage on the Screen Usage Survey and Social Media Addiction Questionnaire, respectively. Separate linear mixed effect models examined the association between ADHD symptomology and length of screen time/related problems while controlling for age, sex at birth, race, ethnicity, household income, parental education, and established screen time predictors (e.g., sleep). Results showed positive relationships between ADHD symptomology and length of time spent watching videos and social media usage problems (p’s < .001). Findings are consistent with prior literature linking ADHD and screen time and suggest ADHD symptomology is related to increased risk for social media problems, even after controlling for average sleep duration, frequency of vigorous physical activity, and internalizing mental health symptoms. Results suggest that caregivers should limit screen time usage and encourage youth engagement in other physical and social activities. Future research should assess the directionality of these relationships across adolescent development.
The Association Between ADHD Symptomology and Social Media Usage in Preadolescents in the ABCD Study
Technology development and accessibility have boomed, where approximately 70% of children own a smartphone by age 12, and 85% of youth use technology for recreational purposes. Research has shown that youth with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) report greater screen time; however, investigation of types of screen time exposure has been limited. Further, less is known about youth with ADHD’s risk for problems due to social media usage. The current study aims to investigate the relationship between ADHD symptomology and time spent watching videos (i.e., YouTube) and social media usage problems during preadolescence. The sample included 7,308 participants (range=10.6-14 years old, 47.6% female, 69.5% non-Hispanic White) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Study (ABCD) study at 2-year follow-up. The Child Behavior Checklist provided caregiver report of youth behavioral/emotional problems, and the attention/hyperactivity symptoms subscale was used to measure ADHD symptomology. Youth reported the number of hours spent on weekdays/weekends watching videos (i.e., on YouTube/Twitch) and problems related to social media usage on the Screen Usage Survey and Social Media Addiction Questionnaire, respectively. Separate linear mixed effect models examined the association between ADHD symptomology and length of screen time/related problems while controlling for age, sex at birth, race, ethnicity, household income, parental education, and established screen time predictors (e.g., sleep). Results showed positive relationships between ADHD symptomology and length of time spent watching videos and social media usage problems (p’s < .001). Findings are consistent with prior literature linking ADHD and screen time and suggest ADHD symptomology is related to increased risk for social media problems, even after controlling for average sleep duration, frequency of vigorous physical activity, and internalizing mental health symptoms. Results suggest that caregivers should limit screen time usage and encourage youth engagement in other physical and social activities. Future research should assess the directionality of these relationships across adolescent development.
