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The study, published Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA, explains more research is needed to determine whether the symptoms of the disorder, commonly known as ADHD, are likely caused by the use of digital media.
"If we can determine if there is a potential causal link that is consistent across studies, then we can design interventions even a simple educational information allowing teachers, parents and pediatric health professionals to know that there could be an increased risk when they talk with their teens about the use of digital media might be helpful, "said Adam Leventhal, a licensed clinical psychologist. and a professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, and lead author of the study.
Symptoms of ADHD include inattentio n, hyperactivity, agitation or impulsivity that is more severe, frequent or debilitating than normal.
The disorder, which is more common in boys than in girls, affects about 5% of all children in the United States, according to US centers. for the control and prevention of diseases. The prevalence of ADHD has also been estimated at 5% worldwide.
Therapeutic Options Include Behavioral Therapy, Drugs, and School Facilities
"ADHD has been badociated with substance abuse disorders in adulthood and even in the criminal justice system, and the symptoms are strenuous for the affected person, "said Leventhal." If we can identify any potential risk factor that is involved in this disorder, then it is important, especially those that are modifiable as the use of the media Numbers. "
" The Association … Was Persistent " [19659003] The new study involved 2,587 students in 10 high schools in Los Angeles County, California. 39; had no significant symptoms of ADHD at the beginning of the study, were aged 15 to 16 years
Students participated in the study over a period of two years, beginning at the beginning of the year. autumn 2014, with a collar tracking data, spring 2015, fall 2015, spring 2016 and fall 2016.
At each of these times, students completed a form that measured the symptoms of ADHD, including nine symptoms of inattention and nine symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity.
Students responded to surveys that showed how often they participated in 14 digital media activities, such as social media, texting, digital games, online shopping, video conversations, reading content online or streaming videos or music. [19659003ToChapterofMusicStudentswereforthecurrentlyadaysorotherqualityfromthedifferenceofthedifferentfromtheywereforthyearsweeklyorotherqualityframesuchasofWatchfromtheyweeklyandweeklyweekendweek
After badyzing self-reported symptoms and responses to digital media surveys, the researchers found that each additional high-frequency engagement in a digital media activity was badociated with a higher probability of having ADHD symptoms at each point of follow-up. 19659002] Researchers found that, on average, 9.5% of students who reported engaging in seven high-frequency digital media activities reported symptoms of ADHD and 10.5% of those who reported participating in 14 high-frequency digital media activities. By comparison, only 4.6% of students who reported not engaging in any of the digital media activities also reported symptoms of ADHD throughout the study.
"These percentages – like the 4.6 percent – reflect average rates across the four different follow-ups," said Leventhal. "One of the things we noticed in the study was that the badociation between digital media and the prevalence of ADHD symptoms persisted throughout the follow-up period."
The researchers described the badociation between higher frequency The following symptoms of ADHD are "statistically significant but modest".
The study had certain limitations, including the fact that only a specific age of students was included in the study and that students were based solely in the Los Angeles area. More research is needed to determine if similar results could emerge among a group of more geographically diverse adolescents.
In addition, the study showed that an badociation between the modern use of digital media and the subsequent symptoms of ADHD. More research is needed to determine if this relationship is causal or reflects the reverse causality. For example, genetics or environmental influences can increase both the symptoms of ADHD and the access or use of digital media. The use of income and media among parents can also influence the use of media in children.
The study was also based on self-reported reports on the use of digital media and ADHD symptoms
. Said Leventhal, but not everyone would call it a limitation
"Results must be understood as provisional"
. Dimitri Christakis, pediatrician and director of the Center for Health, Behavior and Child Development at the Seattle Children's Research Institute, called the study "the best to date Showing the badociation between the use of digital media and the symptoms of ADHD. "Even without a clinical diagnosis of ADHD, a decrease in attentional capacity is badociated with a lower function both in childhood and in adulthood," said Christakis, who does not have a clinical diagnosis of ADHD. was not involved.
"We know that it's wrong to have a shorter duration of attention, no matter whether or not you have a diagnosis of ADHD," he said.
Shorter attention is a distraction "With the constant use of digital media," you can create a habit of mind where your brain is constantly looking for something more interesting, something more stimulating, because he's always available – and that leads to distraction, "he said. "The biggest problem kids have with ADHD is, they are easily distracted."
The study was interesting, but there are three reasons to remain cautious, Andy Przybylski, badociate professor and research director at Oxford University's Oxford Internet Institute, said in a statement released Tuesday by the Science Media Center independent.
"At first, although the badyzes are well done, they show a very weak correlation between the use of digital media and the non-clinical measurement of ADHD symptoms. "Study is a proof of concept that tells us that we need very large samples when we design future studies because the possible effects are extremely small," said Przybylski, who did not participate in the study. The study does not directly measure the use of digital media or ADHD because the study relies on the survey responses provided by the student in question, but it does not measure the use of digital media or ADHD because the study is based on the survey responses provided by the student in question, but it does not measure. is not clear whether teachers or parents would rate children in the same way or whether the self-reported measurement of the use of the digital screen is correlated with actual behavior or with survey items better quality, "he said." Finally, because 39, it was an exploratory study, instead of a recorded or confirmatory study, the results should be understood as tentative. "
Recommendations from digital media recommended by doctors
Dr. Jenny Radesky, developmental behavioral pediatrician and badistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Medicine in Ann Arbor, wrote an editorial accompanying the new study
: "With faster digital media research, parents may feel more confident The results "confirm the 2016 guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics to prioritize activities that promote the functioning and well-being of adolescents, including sleep, activity physical and distraction. ", writes Radesky, who was the principal author of the Academy's guidelines for young children, with Christakis.
For children 6 years and older, l & # 39; 39; academy recommends placing consistent boundaries on the time spent using the media, designating media-free moments like dinner or travel, and in
Radesky wrote in so n editorial that "although not directly addressed by this study, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for parental involvement in the use of their teen's media – including discussions about the prosocial uses of the media , digital citizenship, misinformation and persuasion awareness – are relevant to cognitive and emotional responses to teen digital media. "
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