Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders
Published in: ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders 4/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Original Article

The screens culture: impact on ADHD

Authors: Margaret D. Weiss, Susan Baer, Blake A. Allan, Kelly Saran, Heidi Schibuk

Published in: ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders | Issue 4/2011

Login to get access

Abstract

Children’s use of electronic media, including Internet and video gaming, has increased dramatically to an average in the general population of roughly 3 h per day. Some children cannot control their Internet use leading to increasing research on “internet addiction.” The objective of this article is to review the research on ADHD as a risk factor for Internet addiction and gaming, its complications, and what research and methodological questions remain to be addressed. The literature search was done in PubMed and Psychinfo, as well as by hand. Previous research has demonstrated rates of Internet addiction as high as 25% in the population and that it is addiction more than time of use that is best correlated with psychopathology. Various studies confirm that psychiatric disorders, and ADHD in particular, are associated with overuse, with severity of ADHD specifically correlated with the amount of use. ADHD children may be vulnerable since these games operate in brief segments that are not attention demanding. In addition, they offer immediate rewards with a strong incentive to increase the reward by trying the next level. The time spent on these games may also exacerbate ADHD symptoms, if not directly then through the loss of time spent on more developmentally challenging tasks. While this is a major issue for many parents, there is no empirical research on effective treatment. Internet and off-line gaming overuse and addiction are serious concerns for ADHD youth. Research is limited by the lack of measures for youth or parents, studies of children at risk, and studies of impact and treatment.
Literature
AAP (2001) American academy of pediatrics: children, adolescents, and television. Pediatrics 107(2):423–426CrossRef
Abreu CN, Karam RG, Goes DS, Spritzer DT (2008) Internet and videogame addiction: a review. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 30(2):156–167PubMedCrossRef
Adi-Japha E, Landau YE, Frenkel L, Teicher M, Gross-Tsur V, Shalev RS (2007) ADHD and dysgraphia: underlying mechanisms. Cortex 43(6):700–709PubMedCrossRef
Baer S, Bogusz E, Green DA (2011) Stuck on screens: patterns of computer and gaming station use in youth seen in a psychiatry clinic. J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 20(2):86–94PubMed
Beard KW (2005) Internet addiction: a review of current assessment techniques and potential assessment questions. Cyberpsychol Behav 8(1):7–14PubMedCrossRef
Bioulac S, Arfi L, Bouvar MP (2008) Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and video games: a comparative study of hyperactive and control children. Eur Psychiatry 23(2):134–141PubMedCrossRef
Byun S, Ruffine C, Mills JE, Douglas AC, Niang M, Stepchenkova S, Lee SK, Loutfi J, Lee J-K, Atallah M, Blanton M (2009) Internet addiction: metasynthesis of 1996–2006 quantitative research. Cyberpsychol Behav 12(2):203–207PubMedCrossRef
Cao F, Su L (2007) Internet addiction among Chinese adolescents: prevalence and psychological features. Child Care Health Dev 33(3):275–281PubMedCrossRef
Cao F, Su L, Liu T, Gao X (2007) The relationship between impulsivity and internet addiction in a sample of Chinese adolescents. Eur Psychiatry 22(7):466–471PubMedCrossRef
Chak K, Leung L (2004) Shyness and locus of control as predictors of internet addiction and internet use. Cyberpsychol Behav 7(5):559–570PubMed
Chan PA, Rabinowitz T (2006) A cross-sectional analysis of video games and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in adolescents. Ann Gen Psychiatry 5:16PubMedCrossRef
Chang MK, Law SPM (2008) Factor structure for young’s internet addiction test: a confimatory study. Comput Human Behav 24(6):2597–2619CrossRef
Chirita V, Chirita R, Stefanescu C, Chele G, Ilinca M (2006) Computer use and addiction in Romanian children and teenagers—an observational study. Rev Med Chir Soc Med Nat Iasi 110(3):526–532PubMed
Cho SC, Kim JW, Kim BN, Lee JH, Kim EH (2008) Biogenetic temperament and character profiles and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in Korean adolescents with problematic internet use. Cyberpsychol Behav 11(6):735–737PubMedCrossRef
Coniglio MA, Muni V, Giammanco G, Pignato S (2007) Excessive Internet use and internet addiction: emerging public health issues. Ig Sanita Pubbl 63(2):127–136PubMed
Cumyn L, French L, Hechtman L (2009) Comorbidity in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Can J Psychiatry 54(10):673–683PubMed
Davis RA, Flett GL, Besser A (2002) Validation of a new scale for measuring problematic internet use: implications for pre-employment screening. Cyberpsychol Behav 5(4):331–345PubMedCrossRef
Dell’Osso B, Hadley S, Allen A, Baker B, Chaplin WF, Hollander E (2008) Escitalopram in the treatment of impulsive-compulsive internet usage disorder: an open-label trial followed by a double-blind discontinuation phase. J Clin Psychiatry 69(3):452–456PubMedCrossRef
Demetrovics Z, Szeredi B, Rozsa S (2008) The three-factor model of internet addiction: the development of the problematic internet use questionnaire. Behav Res Methods 40(2):563–574PubMedCrossRef
Diamond A (2007) Consequences of variations in genes that affect dopamine in prefrontal cortex. Cereb Cortex 17(Suppl 1):i161–i170PubMedCrossRef
Diamond A, Barnett WS, Thomas J, Munro S (2007) Preschool program improves cognitive control. Science 318(5855):1387–1388PubMedCrossRef
Ferraro G, Caci B, D’Amico A, Di Blasi M (2007) Internet addiction disorder: an Italian study. Cyberpsychol Behav 10(2):170–175PubMedCrossRef
Fu KW, Chan WS, Wong PW, Yip PS (2010) Internet addiction: prevalence, discriminant validity and correlates among adolescents in Hong Kong. Br J Psychiatry 196(6):486–492PubMedCrossRef
Ghassemzadeh L, Shahraray M, Moradi A (2008) Prevalence of internet addiction and comparison of internet addicts and non-addicts in Iranian high schools. Cyberpsychol Behav 11(6):731–733PubMedCrossRef
Green CS, Bavelier D (2003) Action video game modifies visual selective attention. Nature 423:534–537PubMedCrossRef
Ha JH, Yoo HJ, Cho IH, Chin B, Shin D, Kim JH (2006) Psychiatric comorbidity assessed in Korean children and adolescents who screen positive for internet addiction. J Clin Psychiatry 67(5):821–826PubMedCrossRef
Han DH, Young SL, Yang KC, Kim EY, Lyoo IK, Renshaw PF (2007) Dopamine genes and reward dependence in adolescents with excessive internet video game play. J Addict Med 1(3):133–138PubMedCrossRef
Han DH, Lee YS, Na C, Ahn JY, Chung US, Daniels MA, Haws CA, Renshaw PF (2009) The effect of methylphenidate on internet video game play in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Compr Psychiatry 50(3):251–256PubMedCrossRef
Hinic D, Mihajlovic G, Spiric Z, Dukic-Dejanovic S, Jovanovic M (2008) Excessive internet use—addiction disorder or not? Vojnosanit Pregl 65(10):763–767PubMedCrossRef
Jackson LA, Zhao Y, Qiu W, Kolenic A, Fitzgerald HE III, Harold R, Von Eye A (2008) Cultural differences in morality in the real and virtual worlds: a comparison of Chinese and US youth. Cyberpsychol Behav 11(3):279–286. doi:10.​1089/​cpb.​2007.​0098 PubMedCrossRef
Johansson A, Gotestam KG (2004) Internet addiction: characteristics of a questionnaire and prevalence in Norwegian youth (12–18 years). Scand J Psychol 45(3):223–229PubMedCrossRef
Joo A, Park I (2010) Effects of an empowerment education program in the prevention of internet games addiction in middle school students. J Korean Acad Nurs 40(2):255–263PubMedCrossRef
Kalke J, Raschke P (2004) Learning by doing: ‘initiated abstinence’, a school-based programme for the prevention of addiction. Results of an evaluation study. Eur Addict Res 10(2):88–94PubMedCrossRef
Khazaal Y, Billieux J, Thorens G, Khan R, Louati Y, Scarlatti E, Theintz F, Lederrey J, Van Der Linden M, Zullino D (2008) French validation of the internet addiction test. Cyberpsychol Behav 11(6):703–706PubMedCrossRef
Klingberg T, Fernell E, Olesen PJ, Johnson M, Gustafsson P, Dahlstrom K, Gillberg CG, Forssberg H, Westerberg H (2005) Computerized training of working memory in children with ADHD—a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 44(2):177–186PubMedCrossRef
Ko C-H, Yen J-Y, Yen C-F, Chen C–C, Yen C-N, Chen S-H (2005a) Screening for internet addiction: an empirical study on cut-off points for the Chen Internet Addiction Scale. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 21(12):545–551PubMedCrossRef
Ko CH, Yen J-Y, Chen C–C, Chen S-H, Yen C-F (2005b) Proposed diagnostic criteria of internet addiction for adolescents. J Nerv Ment Dis 193(11):728–733PubMedCrossRef
Ko CH, Liu GC, Hsiao S, Yen JY, Yang MJ, Lin WC, Yen CF, Chen CS (2009a) Brain activities associated with gaming urge of online gaming addiction. J Psychiatr Res 43(7):739–747PubMedCrossRef
Ko CH, Yen JY, Chen CS, Yeh YC, Yen CF (2009b) Predictive values of psychiatric symptoms for internet addiction in adolescents: a 2 year prospective study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 163(10):937–943PubMedCrossRef
Ko CH, Yen JY, Chen SH, Yang MJ, Lin HC, Yen CF (2009c) Proposed diagnostic criteria and the screening and diagnosing tool of internet addiction in college students. Compr Psychiatry 50(4):378–384PubMedCrossRef
Ko CH, Yen JY, Liu SC, Huang CF, Yen CF (2009d) The associations between aggressive behaviors and internet addiction and online activities in adolescents. J Adolesc Health 44(6):598–605PubMedCrossRef
Koepp MJ, Gunn RN, Lawrence AD, Cunningham VJ, Dagher A, Jones T, Brooks DJ, Bench CJ, Grasby PM (1998) Evidence for striatal dopamine release during a video game. Nature 393:266–268PubMedCrossRef
Kratzer S, Hegerl U (2008) Is “internet addiction” a disorder of its own?—a study on subjects with excessive internet use. Psychiatr Prax 35(2):80–83PubMedCrossRef
Lam LT, Peng ZW (2010) Effect of pathological use of the internet on adolescent mental health: a prospective study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 164(10):901–906
Lawrence V, Houghton S, Tannock R, Douglas G, Durkin K, Whiting K (2002) ADHD outside the laboratory: boys’ excutive function performance on tasks in videogame play and on a visit to the zoo. J Abnorm Child Psychol 30(5):447–462PubMedCrossRef
Lawrence V, Houghton S, Douglas G, Durkin K, Whiting K, Tannock R (2004) Executive function and ADHD: a comparison of children’s performance during neuropsychological testing and real-world activities. J Atten Disord 7(3):137–149PubMedCrossRef
Lawrence AJ, Luty J, Bogdan NA, Sahakian BJ, Clark L (2009) Problem gamblers share deficits in impulsive decision-making with alcohol-dependent individuals. Addiction 104(6):1006–1015PubMedCrossRef
Lin CH, Yu SF (2008) Adolescent internet usage in Taiwan: exploring gender differences. Adolescence 43(170):317–331PubMed
Mark AE, Janssen I (2008) Relationship between screen time and metabolic syndrome in adolescents. J Public Health 30(2):153–160CrossRef
Miller MC (2007) Questions & answers. Is “internet addiction” a distinct mental disorder? Harv Ment Health Lett 24(4):8
Mottram AJ, Fleming MJ (2009) Extraversion, impulsivity, and online group membership as predictors of problematic internet use. Cyberpsychol Behav 12(3):319–321PubMedCrossRef
Mythily S, Qiu S, Winslow M (2008) Prevalence and correlates of excessive internet use among youth in Singapore. Ann Acad Med Singap 37(1):9–14PubMed
Nichols LA, Nicki R (2004) Development of a psychometrically sound internet addiction scale: a preliminary step. Psychol Addict Behav 18(4):381–384PubMedCrossRef
Niemz K, Griffiths M, Banyard P (2005) Prevalence of pathological internet use among university students and correlations with self-esteem, the general health questionnaire (GHQ), and disinhibition. Cyberpsychol Behav 8(6):562–570PubMedCrossRef
Ohlmeier MD, Peters K, Kordon A, Seifert J, Wildt BT, Wiese B, Ziegenbein M, Emrich HM, Schneider U (2007) Nicotine and alcohol dependence in patients with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Alcohol Alcohol 42(6):539–543PubMed
Ohlmeier MD, Peters K, Te Wildt BT, Zedler M, Ziegenbein M, Wiese B, Emrich HM, Schneider U (2008) Comorbidity of alcohol and substance dependence with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Alcohol Alcohol 43(3):300–304PubMed
Orzack MH, Orzack DS (1999) Treatment of computer addicts with complex co-morbid psychiatric disorders. Cyberpsychol Behav 2(5):465–473PubMedCrossRef
Park SK, Kim JY, Cho CB (2008) Prevalence of internet addiction and correlations with family factors among South Korean adolescents. Adolescence 43(172):895–909PubMed
Pies R (2009) Should DSM-V designate “internet addiction” a mental disorder? Psychiatry Edgmont 6(2):31–37PubMed
Pujol Cda C, Alexandre S, Sokolovsky A, Karam RG, Spritzer DT (2009) Internet addiction: perspectives on cognitive-behavioral therapy. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 31(2):185–186PubMedCrossRef
Ryu E-J, Choi K-S, Seo J-S, Nam B-W (2004) The relationships of Internet addiction, depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents. Daehan Ganho Haghoeji 34(1):102–110
Shaffer HJ, Hall MN, Vander Bilt J (2000) “Computer addiction”: a critical consideration. Am J Orthopsychiatry 70(2):162–168PubMedCrossRef
Shapira NA, Goldsmith TD, Keck PE, Kholsa UM, McElroy SL (2000) Psychiatric features of individuals with problematic internet use. J Affect Dis 57:267–272PubMedCrossRef
Shaw M, Black DW (2008) Internet addiction: definition, assessment, epidemiology and clinical management. CNS Drugs 22(5):353–365PubMedCrossRef
Shaw R, Grayson A, Lewis V (2005) Inhibition, ADHD, and computer games: the inhibitory performance of children with ADHD on computerized tasks and games. J Attention Dis 8(4):160–168CrossRef
Shek DT, Tang VM, Lo CY (2009) Evaluation of an internet addiction treatment program for Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Adolescence 44(174):359–373PubMed
Simkova B, Cincera J (2004) Internet addiction disorder and chatting in the Czech Republic. Cyberpsychol Behav 7(5):536–539PubMed
Siomos KE, Dafouli ED, Braimiotis DA, Mouzas OD, Angelopoulos NV (2008) Internet addiction among Greek adolescent students. Cyberpsychol Behav 11(6):653–657PubMedCrossRef
Smith A, Stewart D, Peled M, Poon C, Saewyc E (2009) A picture of health: highlights from the 2008 BC Adolescent Health Survey. McCreary Centre Society, Vancouver
Song XQ, Zheng L, Li Y, Yu DX, Wang ZZ (2010) Status of ‘internet addiction disorder’ (IAD) and its risk factors among first-grade junior students in Wuhan. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 31(1):14–17PubMed
Sun DL, Chen ZJ, Ma N, Zhang XC, Fu XM, Zhang DR (2009) Decision-making and prepotent response inhibition functions in excessive internet users. CNS Spectr 14(2):75–81PubMed
Tao R, Huang X, Wang J, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Li M (2010) Proposed diagnostic criteria for internet addiction. Addiction 105(3):556–564PubMedCrossRef
Tejeiro Salguero RA, Bersabe Moran RM (2002) Measuring problem video game playing in adolescents. Addiction 97:1601–1606PubMedCrossRef
Van De Voorde S, Roeyers H, Verte S, Wiersema JR (2010) Working memory, response inhibition, and within-subject variability in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or reading disorder. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 32(4):366–379CrossRef
Volkow ND, Wang GJ, Kollins SH, Wigal TL, Newcorn JH, Telang F, Fowler JS, Zhu W, Logan J, Ma Y, Pradhan K, Wong C, Swanson JM (2009) Evaluating dopamine reward pathway in ADHD: clinical implications. JAMA 302(10):1084–1091PubMedCrossRef
Widyanto L, McMurran M (2004) The psychometric properties of the internet addiction test. Cyberpsychol Behav 7(4):443–450PubMedCrossRef
Xu J, Shen LX, Yan CH, Wu ZQ, Ma ZZ, Jin XM, Shen XM (2008) Internet addiction among Shanghai adolescents: prevalence and epidemiological features. Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi 42(10):735–738PubMed
Yen JY, Ko CH, Yen CF, Wu HY, Yang MJ (2007) The comorbid psychiatric symptoms of internet addiction: attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, social phobia, and hostility. J Adolesc Health 41(1):93–98PubMedCrossRef
Yen JY, Yen CF, Chen CS, Tang TC, Ko CH (2009) The association between adult ADHD symptoms and internet addiction among college students: the gender difference. Cyberpsychol Behav 12(2):187–191
Yoo HJ, Cho SC, Ha J, Yune SK, Kim SJ, Hwang J, Chung A, Sung YH, Lyoo IK (2004) Attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms and internet addiction. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 58(5):487–494PubMedCrossRef
Young KS (1998a) Caught in the net: how to recognize signs of internet addiction—and a winning strategy for recovery. Wiley, New York
Young KS (1998b) Internet addiction: the emergence of a new clinical disorder. Cyberpsychol Behav 1(3):237–244CrossRef
Young KS (2007) Cognitive behavior therapy with internet addicts: treatment outcomes and implications. Cyberpsychol Behav 10(5):671–679PubMedCrossRef
Zboralski K, Orzechowska A, Talarowska M, Darmosz A, Janiak A, Janiak M, Florkowski A, Galecki P (2009) The prevalence of computer and internet addiction among pupils. Postepy Hig Med Dosw (Online) 63:8–12
Metadata
Title
The screens culture: impact on ADHD
Authors
Margaret D. Weiss
Susan Baer
Blake A. Allan
Kelly Saran
Heidi Schibuk
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
Springer Vienna
Published in
ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders / Issue 4/2011
Print ISSN: 1866-6116
Electronic ISSN: 1866-6647
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-011-0065-z

Other articles of this Issue 4/2011

ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders 4/2011 Go to the issue

Original Article

An exploration of the associations of pregnancy and perinatal features with cytokines and tryptophan/kynurenine metabolism in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Original Article

Effects of DSP4 and methylphenidate on spatial memory performance in rats

Original Article

Adjunctive atomoxetine to SSRIs or SNRIs in the treatment of adult ADHD patients with comorbid partially responsive generalized anxiety (GA): an open-label study

Original Article

Psychometric properties of the quality of life scale Child Health and Illness Profile-Child Edition in a combined analysis of five atomoxetine trials