Boys' Social Media Use Tied to Rising ADHD Symptoms

Boys who say they can't put down social media may be more likely to show worsening ADHD symptoms a year later, a large new study suggests. Researchers at UC San Francisco tracked more than 11,000 US kids from about age 12 to 16 and found that when a boy's "addictive" social media use increased one year, his ADHD symptoms tended to rise the next—especially around ages 14 and 15, per the Washington Post. Published in JAMA Network Open, the study looked at behaviors like constantly thinking about social media, using it to escape problems, and trying but failing to cut back.

Parents later reported on attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The pattern ran mostly one way: Higher problematic social media use was followed by more ADHD symptoms, not the reverse, though the authors stress the research can't prove cause and effect. The link didn't clearly appear in girls. Lead author Jason Nagata urges parents to focus less on total screen time and more on warning signs—whether social media disrupts sleep, school, or relationships—and to model healthier habits themselves, including screen-free bedrooms and mealtimes. Nature has more on why teens with ADHD are so susceptible to social media's "perils."