Problematic Social Media Use and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Adolescents

Are within-person changes in problematic social media use (PSMU) among youths associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms across 5 annual study waves, and do these associations differ by sex?In this cohort study of 11 286 youth participants, within-person elevations in self-reported PSMU behaviors were associated with higher parent-reported ADHD symptoms the following year during mid-adolescence. These within-person associations differed by sex and were significant among males but not females.The findings suggest that assessment of social media use among youths with ADHD should prioritize problematic patterns and consider sex-specific risk.

Corresponding Author: Jason M. Nagata, MD, MSc, Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th St, 4th Floor, Box 0503, San Francisco, CA 94158 (jason.nagata@ucsf.edu).

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