Can the use of mobile phones cause Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in children? Research says it could be a possibility.

You are trying to get your child’s attention, but he/she is always on the phone. When you take the phone away, your child gets restless. Does this scene seem familiar to you? Beware, as your child’s phone habits may be the cause for hyperactivity disorder, commonly known as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

From toddlers to teens to the elderly, we have taken to mobile phones like a moth to a flame. These gadgets deserve credit for bringing the world closer. However, they might be causing more harm than we care to admit.

Studies have proven that the radiation emitted by mobile phones is harmful and can cause cancer.
In addition to this, another bane gets added to the list. Research has shown that mobile phone addiction may be the cause of hyperactivity disorder in children and teenagers. Before exploring this issue, let’s first understand what ADHD is.

What is hyperactivity disorder?

Hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a mental disorder that affects children, teenagers as well as adults. People with hyperactivity disorder find it difficult to concentrate or control their impulses in daily life.

ADHD often ends up interfering with a child’s performance in school. If your kid can appear to be distracted, hyper, destructive, messy, there’s a chance he/she may be suffering from hyperactivity disorder.

This condition can become worse in adulthood, if not paid attention to in its initial stages. Therefore, it’s vital for parents to recognize the signs and symptoms.

Symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children

  • Hyperactive
  • Distracted
  • Poor listener
  • Can’t follow instructions or directions
  • Unorganized and messy
  • Often misplaces things
  • Tends to daydream
  • Repeats mistakes
  • Often fidgets and can’t stay still
  • Talks a lot
  • Always on the go, can’t stay in one place
  • Interrupts others
  • Impatient for his/her turn

Symptoms of hyperactivity disorder in adults

  • Forgetful
  • Often late
  • Procrastinates
  • Gets frustrated easily
  • Unable to control anger
  • Easily bored
  • Anxiety
  • Mood swings
  • Depression
  • Impulsive
  • Trouble concentrating especially while reading

What causes hyperactivity disorder?

  • Hereditary: If anyone in your family has or is suffering from hyperactivity disorder, it can be passed on to you.
  • A chemical imbalance in the brain: Sometimes, an imbalance of chemicals in the brain can cause such disorders.
  • Poor lifestyle: Poor nutrition, frequent smoking, and drinking, etc., can result in hyperactivity disorder.
  • Substance abuse during pregnancy: It directly affects the development of your child’s brain.
  • A brain injury: Damage or injury to the frontal lobe of the brain can result in uncontrolled impulses.
  • Excessive use of cell phones, internet addiction, and internet gaming disorder are added causes to this list.

Mobile phones and hyperactivity disorder: Exploring the connection

A study was conducted on teenagers by the University of Southern California. It discovered that there could be a significant connection between hyperactivity disorder and excessive usage of a mobile device and a digital device.

According to this longitudinal study, the more these teens and school students are involved in their cellular phone and have an internet addiction, the more likely they are to be affected.

The study was published in the journal of the American Medical Association. The research was conducted on 2,600 teens, over the course of two years.

It was discovered that teens who were frequent users of the digital device showed new symptoms of hyperactivity disorder.

Also, teens who didn’t use social media didn’t show signs of hyperactivity disorder at the beginning of the study. However, 4.6% of them did towards the end, after having used 14 different forms of digital media. These were the questions they were asked:

  • How often they check social media
  • Frequent texting and phone calls
  • Browsing for images or videos online
  • Streaming or downloading music
  • Liking or commenting on other people’s posts
  • Chatting online
  • Streaming videos
  • Playing video games online
  • Playing games with others
  • Posting on social media
  • Sharing others’ posts
  • Reading blogs and posts online
  • Shopping online
  • Video chatting

The study states that teens who are exposed to higher levels of social media, are likely to develop symptoms of hyperactivity in the future, which includes addictive behaviors, hyperactive behavior, behavioral addictions, impulsive behaviors, lack of impulse control, inattentive symptoms, decreased human attention, etc.

This, however, is an observational study based on the survey and hasn’t been scientifically proven. Nonetheless, it is something to think about right?

Avoid hyperactivity disorder by reducing mobile phone addiction: Here’s what you can do

If you are aware of your addictive behaviors and want to reduce the risk factor of developing hyperactivity disorder, here are a few tricks you can apply.

Turn off as many notifications as you can

  • We are often interrupted by a new ‘like’ that we got on Facebook or the latest single dropped by Lady Gaga. Therefore, it’s advisable to turn off all these useless notifications.
  • You can always check your social media later instead of that very instant. Hence, keep notifications that matter such as your work email, or a net banking alert.

Record your phone usage

  • To know the level of your internet addiction, keep a schedule of how often you check it. Doing this helps to set up an alarm for whenever you need to check notifications.

Start with 15 minutes, then gradually progress to half an hour and one hour.

Take off the distracting apps

  • Your world won’t turn upside down if you aren’t aware of the weather or the traffic jam outside your office, right? More often that not, we get distracted by these apps. As a result, you should get rid of them, and you’ll instantly feel better.

Turn on your phone’s grayscale

  • One of the easiest ways to avoid looking at your phone is to make it unappealing. Grayscale is an option on your mobile technology that makes the icon less shiny and hence, attractive.
  • Those having iPhones, go to ‘display accommodations’ and then click on ‘çolour filters’. If you have an android, go to ‘vision,’ and then click on ‘grayscale.’

So, are you ready to live life outside of your mobile screen?

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice but suggested techniques that you can try. If none of these seem to work, you may need an advanced form of treatment.

A note on hyperactivity disorder

As mentioned above, there are several factors responsible for hyperactivity disorder. Reducing cell phone addiction is a suggested must reduce or avoid hyperactivity disorder and behavioral addictions in the future. However, some people may suffer from an extreme form of it that is interfering in their everyday life and may need advanced treatment.

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice but suggested techniques that you can try. If none of these seems to work, you may need an advanced form of treatment.

Here’s a long-lasting solution to get rid of your hyperactivity disorder

Neurofeedback: With this treatment, you can reduce your ADHD significantly. To learn more, watch this video. In addition to these tips, Brain & Co. offers med-free treatment that could help you overcome some of the challenges that come with depression/anxiety/sleep issues, and other mental disorders. Visit our website or give us a call at +91 253 660 6333 to learn more.