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Friday, July 20, 2018

Teens glued to phones risk 'modest' rise in ADHD symptoms

Could teenagers suffer symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder after engaging in excessive smartphone use?

A new study out Tuesday says digital overload could be linked to a "modest" but significant rise in new ADHD behaviors, offering a warning to parents about the potential dangers of too much screen time.

The findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association were based on nearly 2,600 Los Angeles teens who answered survey questions over a two-year period -- making it one of the largest and longest studies on the topic to date.

The more social media, streaming video, text messaging, music downloads or online chats they engaged with, the more likely they were to report symptoms like difficulty organizing and completing tasks, or trouble remaining still.

About 10 percent of youths who said they commonly used digital media platforms frequently showed new ADHD symptoms over the study period, said the report.

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I try to employ young people. Not only do they have no attention span to speak of at task. They struggle to hold a pen and simply print legibly forget handwriting. Their printing is this tiny jagged timid scrawling. They can text . I tell them leave their phones in the car or home. I don't care who you think you NEED to be in contact with. If your grandmother is dying chances are she's not texting you. I hate to disparage people with true disabilities but these kids truly are retarded. They can't do simple math in their heads and don't even have the rudimentary command of language to get through the day and have this sanctimonious attitude that they are doing me some favor and above the work I pay them to do. I am pretty tolerant but you have to lean in on the clock and do what I tell you to do. Not just show up and do what you feel like. I should hire Mexicans.

Anonymous said...

They're phone junkies. It's as real as a condition as drug addiction.