Digital Parenting Lab

I define myself as a parent who believes in the educational power of the computers and screens, and who does not think screentime may be detrimental as long as the children spend their time in the well curated spaces and as long as they are supervised.

            But how much of screentime can get too much and too stimulating? That question I raised to myself when started noticing my child got hyperactive, irritable, and cranky after watching Peppa and Cocomelon episodes during our Covid days when I was busy with my doctoral thesis. It is only now that I decided to unpack this uneasy question: whether additional screen time could potentially be detrimental to children’s cognitive development and possibly increase the risk of ADHD in the future. I must admit that I have ADHD myself, so my daughter may already have a genetic predisposition.

            With a cursory look at Google searches, it becomes evident that the terms “screentime” and “ADHD” are commonly queried.

            What is ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)? It stands for neurodevelopmental disorder, under which a person finds themselves unable to focus and regulate their emotions. As the NHS website explains, ADHD is usually manifested in:

Inattentiveness (difficulty concentrating and focusing) represented in:

• Difficulty sustaining attention and being easily sidetracked.
• Prone to making careless errors, especially in academic tasks.
• Exhibiting forgetfulness or misplacing items.
• Struggling to adhere to tasks that are dull or time-consuming.
• Seeming incapable of following or executing instructions.
• Frequently changing activities or tasks.
• Facing challenges in organizing tasks effectively.

Hyperactivity and impulsiveness manifested in:

• Restlessness, particularly in calm environments.
• Persistent fidgeting and excessive physical movement.
• Difficulty concentrating on tasks.
• Talkativeness that exceeds typical levels.
• Impatience, including difficulty waiting for one’s turn.
• Impulsive actions without careful consideration.
• Interrupting conversations.
• Limited or no sense of danger.

            I am sure we all remember childhood times when we would come home after school and indulge in a cartoon spree. But how bad is the effect of screentime onto the kids with ADHD nowadays? And are we allowed to ignore the research evidence?

            As the majority of empirical studies suggest, the symptoms of ADHD do get worse with the screentime used for recreational purposes (but, interestingly, not for studying purposes). Several reviewed studies displayed telling evidence, such as:

• A study conducted in Thailand with 90 children aged 7–16 diagnosed with ADHD found a positive correlation between ADHD symptoms and screen time. ADHD severity was measured using scores of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity (Sriwaranun et al., 2023). However, the findings should be interpreted cautiously, as the study relied on parental reports of screen use, which may be affected by recall bias or inaccurate estimation.
• A meta-analysis by Liu et al. (2024) reviewed studies published up to August 2022 and analysed data from nine studies including 81,234 children (28,997 with ADHD and 52,237 without). The researchers compared children who spent less than two hours per day on screens with those who spent two hours or more. The results showed that children in the higher screen-time group had moderately higher odds of ADHD (OR = 1.51; 95 % CI 1.20–1.90). In other words, greater screen exposure was associated with an increased likelihood of ADHD, although this reflects a statistical association rather than evidence that screen time directly causes the condition.
• A study from the MIND Institute at the University of California, Davis by Hill et al. (2020) examined screen media use in 120 children aged 36 months who had either a family history of ASD, ADHD, or no known familial risk. Parents reported their children’s daily time spent watching video-based media, and researchers assessed language development and behavioural symptoms using standard clinical tools. The results showed that toddlers with elevated ADHD symptoms spent significantly more time viewing screen media than children in the comparison group. Across all groups, higher screen time was also associated with lower receptive and expressive language scores. However, screen use did not differ between children diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and typically developing children. Because the analysis was conducted at a single time point, the researchers emphasised that the findings show an association rather than causation and called for further longitudinal studies to better understand how screen exposure may influence early development.
• A large cross-sectional study in China examined the relationship between screen use and behaviour in 1,897 preschool children aged 3–6 years (Xie et al., 2020). Parents recorded their children’s daily screen time for one week, including television, smartphones, tablets, and video games. Children who used screens more than one hour per day showed significantly more behavioural problems than those with less than one hour daily, particularly externalising behaviours such as impulsivity and hyperactivity. The study also found higher rates of ADHD-related symptoms among children with longer screen exposure. Screen time varied by several socio-demographic factors, with boys spending significantly more time on screens than girls, and higher screen exposure also being associated with lower maternal education, single-parent households, and certain caregiving arrangements. Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot establish causality, but the findings suggest that excessive screen use may be linked to behavioural difficulties in preschool children.

Practical tips:

References

ADDitude Editors. (2025, January 13). Video and computer games for ADHD brains. ADDitude Magazine. https://www.additudemag.com/download/video-games-for-adhd-brains/

Guare, C., Sprinkle, N., Kulman, R. (April 19, 2023). The truth about TV and ADHD. Additude. https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-and-tv/

Hill, M. M., Gangi, D., Miller, M., Rafi, S. M., & Ozonoff, S. (2020). Screen time in 36-month-olds at increased likelihood for ASD and ADHD. Infant Behavior and Development, 61, 101484. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7736468/

Liu, H., Chen, X., Huang, M., Yu, X., Gan, Y., Wang, J., Chen, Q., Nie, Z. & Ge, H. (2024). Screen time and childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analysis. Reviews on Environmental Health, 39(4), 643-650. https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2022-0262

National Health Service (NHS). ADHD overview. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/

Sriwaranun, T., Sittanomai, N., Chantaratin, S., & Boon-Yasidhi, V. (2023). The relationship between screen time and symptom severity in children with ADHD during COVID-19 lockdown. Journal of Attention Disorders, 27(9). 10870547231171726. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547231171726

Xie, G., Deng, Q., Cao, J., & Chang, Q. (2020). Digital screen time and its effect on preschoolers’ behavior in China: results from a cross-sectional study. Italian Journal of Paediatrics, 46(9). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-020-0776-x