By Movieguide® Staff
Some attention problems blamed on ADHD may instead reflect the way constant scrolling trains people to crave stimulation.
“The answer: Yes, although an increase in attentional deficits does not necessarily mean the development of ADHD,” Jadin Marshall, MS, and Erica D. Marshall-Lee, Ph.D., ABPP, wrote for Psychology Today.
The June 8 article, published on Psychology Today’s Outside the Box blog, asks whether recent struggles with focus always point to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Marshall and Marshall-Lee wrote on behalf of the Atlanta Behavioral Health Advocates and urged readers to distinguish lifelong impairment from more recent attention changes shaped by technology.
The authors noted that ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by persistent patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that impair functioning before age 12. They cited the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5-TR and explained that the diagnosis involves more than feeling distracted in a digital age.
That distinction matters because many people now encounter mental health language through TikTok, ChatGPT, Google or other quick online sources. The authors described a young adult assuming she had ADHD after watching videos that connected task avoidance, multitasking problems and low motivation to the diagnosis.
Related: Skip Scrolling Before Bed If You Want Great Sleep
“A portion of what is being self-labeled as ADHD may actually reflect attentional dysregulation shaped by excessive stimulation from digital environments rather than a neurodevelopmental disorder,” the authors wrote. That warning does not dismiss real ADHD, but it does caution against treating every recent focus problem as proof of a disorder.
Marshall and Marshall-Lee argued that technology often runs on intermittent rewards. Likes, notifications, new posts and endless feeds train users to keep checking for the next small hit of novelty.
They compared that pattern to gambling and noted that constant task-switching can weaken the ability to stay with slower, more demanding work. They also cited research associating excessive media use with increased ADHD symptoms over time.
The practical question, they wrote, is whether attention improves when technological stimulation decreases. If a person functions better across settings after reducing screen stimulation, the issue may be an adaptation to an over-demanding environment rather than a stand-alone disorder.
For parents, the essay offers a sober reminder that entertainment habits do not stay neatly contained inside leisure time. A child or teenager trained to swipe past boredom may find it harder to read, pray, work, listen or sit quietly without constant digital novelty.
Movieguide® readers do not need to panic over every app or online tool, but discernment requires honesty about formation. Screens teach habits, and families serve children best when they ask not only what content is on the screen, but what kind of attention the screen is building over time at home.
The authors urged clinicians to assess technology use carefully before reaching for diagnostic labels or medication when those steps are unwarranted. Families can take the same cue at home by examining patterns, reducing needless digital noise and making room for the slower rhythms that help children learn patience, presence and self-control in ordinary daily life.
Read Next: Chris Pratt: ‘Stop Scrolling,’ Engage With Scripture
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