Photographer Eric Pickersgill asked what we’d look like if the screens were removed
Scientists ask whether social media, not neurodevelopment, is driving the surge in adult ADHD
STUDY: Jesudason D et al, Australasian Psychiatry 2026
STUDY TYPE: Perspective article
FUNDING: Independent
Background
ADHD has always been considered a childhood-onset, highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder. But adult diagnoses have climbed sharply since the pandemic, especially among women, and that pattern doesn’t fit the usual story. This review from Australia asks whether some of this is a response to a digital environment engineered to fracture attention.
Summary
Australian stimulant prescriptions for adults aged 25 to 44 rose over 200 percent between 2019 and 2024, far outpacing the rise in children. The increase was even steeper in women, with prescriptions in women aged 25 to 44 climbing 453 percent over that period.
The authors argue chronic exposure to notifications, endless scrolling, and algorithm-driven content may override homeostatic mechanisms, where stress outpaces the brain’s ability to recover. They note the Dunedin cohort found little overlap between adults diagnosed with ADHD and those diagnosed as children, raising the possibility that “adult-onset ADHD” is a distinct phenomenon rather than a delayed diagnosis of a lifelong disorder.
They conclude: “It is difficult to distinguish between neurodevelopmental dysfunction, desires for cognitive enhancement, and attention deficits arising from the psychosocial effects of information technologies and social media.”
Dr. Aiken’s Note
Digital media, no doubt, is addictive, but it can also have benefits. Video games built with neuropsychiatry in mind improve ADHD. But all things in moderation; these video games are only played for 20-30 minutes a day.
During the pandemic, I got addicted to reading new psychiatric research each day. I figured, if we’re going to be addicted, lets at least be addicted to useful information, and created this feed.
Sleep deprivation is another cause, and nocturnal light impairs the neuronal growth that promotes learning. “Endocrine disrupting hormones” including microplastics and chemicals found in processed foods, cosmetics, and fertilizer, have also been implicated in adolescent-onset ADHD.
Practice Implications
- Before starting a stimulant ask about sleep, screen habits, other contributing causes, and whether symptoms have a clear childhood onset. Also screen for sleep apnea, which is found in 30-50% of adults and children with ADHD.
- Here’s a DSM-based interview with ADHD rule-outs built in.
—Chris Aiken, MD
Director, Psych Partners
Editor in Chief, Carlat Psychiatry Report
