Text Size
Smaller
Bigger

Teens with ADHD More Likely to Get Addicted to the Internet

posted 11:39 PM EST, Wed October 07, 2009
-- filed under: | |
Teens with ADHD More Likely to Get Addicted to the Internet © Photo Credit: Miss Gong & The Flickers

Taiwanese researchers have linked ADHD, depression, hostility and social phobia to an increased risk of internet addiction in teens.

What makes a person more vulnerable to internet addiction? That’s what researchers in Taiwan wanted to know when they started tracking 2293 students at junior high schools in southern Taiwan more than 2 years ago.

The research team used self report questionnaires, given at 6, 12 and 24 months into the study, to screen for internet addiction and found that overall, 10.8% of the teens tracked met the criteria for the addiction.

The researchers were also able to identify certain subgroups of teens at greater than normal risk for internet addiction, including:

  • Boys and girls with hostility issues or a diagnosis of ADHD
  • Girls with depression or social phobia
  • Those who spent more than 20 hours online each week and used it everyday
  • Those who played online games

Teens with ADHD faced the greatest increased risk of internet addiction. The researchers hypothesize why ADHD may be linked to internet addiction by saying, “Internet behavior is characterized by rapid response, immediate reward and multiple windows with different activities, which may reduce feelings of boredom or delayed aversion in adolescents with ADHD.”

The researchers recommend that at-risk teens (those with ADHD, hostility, social phobia and depression) receive early preventative interventions to reduce their risks of internet addiction.

Internet addiction has yet to receive a formal entry into the APAs manual of disorders, the DSM IV, although it is under consideration for a coming revised edition. Without a formal diagnostic manual yet available, psychologists consider the following symptoms indicative of problematic internet usage:

  • An inability to control how much time you spend online
  • Trying to cut down on your internet usage, and failing
  • Feeling irritable or anxious when you can’t get online (withdrawal symptoms)
  • Suffering offline consequences from your internet usage

The research results can be read in the October edition of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Subscribe Subscribe to this topic category
Creative Commons License
Copyright Notice
We welcome republishing of our content on condition that you credit Choose Help and the respective authors. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Helpful Information
For Teens: How to Quit Marijuana on Your Own
For Teens That Want to Quit Marijuana – 10 Situations That Lead to Relapse and 5 Ways to Overcome Cravings © John Steven Fernandez
If you prepare yourself for high-risk situations and learn strategies to prevent relapse you have a great chance of being able to quit on your own – learn how to succeed here. Read Article
Teenagers July 19, 2022
Teen Marijuana Addiction Self Test Smoke marijuana? Got 2 minutes to spare for a self test? If so, answer yes or no to 12 questions to make sure you don’t have a marijuana problem. Read Article
Teenagers June 09, 2014 (7)

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information.

Find Treatment
Browse by region »
Scan to call us
using your phone camera app