Smartphone usage can replicate ADHD symptoms, study finds

While being constantly connected often seems to be a necessity in our contemporary world, it can also have a detrimental impact upon your quality of life.

Of course we all know that smartphones can be distracting, but a study has found that smartphone interruptions can create symptoms similar to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Researchers at the universities of Virginia and British Columbia published the results of the study, " 'Silence Your Phones': Smartphone Notifications Increase Inattention and Hyperactivity Symptoms", in CHI '16 (from the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems).  

The researchers cited the case of a 43-year-old digital ad agency CEO who was experiencing a notable decline in task management and an increase in memory and performance gaps. While he had worried he had early-onset dementia or thyroid dysfunction, his doctor diagnosed him with ADHD. The researchers cited this case as an example of how social technology may aggravate ADHD symptoms.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder which can only be diagnosed based on a lifetime history of symptoms, and it has neurological and developmental causes. It's characterized by both inattention (difficulty focusing on one task, susceptibility to boredom and distraction) and hyperactivity or impulsivity (difficulty doing quiet tasks, fidgeting, restlessness).

The researchers emphasized that smartphones do not cause ADHD but they wanted to investigate if smartphone usage can create symptoms that are similar to ADHD.

Their study involved 221 UBC undergraduate students.

The participants were asked to minimize interruptions for one week and then maximize interruptions for another one-week period for comparison.

To minimize interruptions, participants were asked to turn off all alerts and keep their phones out of sight. To maximize disruptions, participants were asked to make all alerts active (with vibrations as a minimum in potentially socially disruptive settings) and keep their phones within vision.

When alerts were on, participants reported higher levels of hyperactivity and inattention, leading to lower productivity and psychological well-being.

However, the solution to preventing these symptoms may not be as simple as turning alerts off. The researchers noted that studies suggest that some individuals may become more anxious about missing notifications when alerts were turned off, leading to an increase in checking for messages.