Can excessive use of an iPad create ADHD?

[RAmeeti]

If children are allowed to use iPads a large amount of time, and are consistently desiring to watch them 100% of the time that they are at the dining table, is this ADHD or just poor parenting.

[BLC89]

Hello RAmeeti,It's hard to say from the little bit that you shared what might be going on.

Because of the constant switching of topic & focus, on social media, your attention span is trained to be extremely short, similar to ADHD.

I refer to it as Nature's ADHD - different brain development timeline & unique view of the world often accompanied by learning differences, more distractable, emotional disregulation, etc.

And technology induced adhd symptoms.

The biggest difference? Technology induced isn't different wiring or unique view of the world it is weak attention muscles. Muscles that can be strengthened when given the chance.

Allowing your kid to be on an iPad is a parenting choice. It makes things easier for you in the short run.

The iPad cannot teach your kid to interact with others or sit with uncomfortable situations/emotions (a life skill) or how to be bored (a life skill).

Personally, I feel all kids need unstructured unplugged time to use their imaginations and figure out who they are. And eating is not a time for technology as a guest.

Ask if the iPad is giving you a break as it's main purpose or if constant use of an iPad is for you to not have to deal with some of the hard parts of parenting.

That will shed light on your question.

BLC89

[Pema20]

The desire to always be on the iPad could be a sign of challenges with self regulation and executive function. Set clear boundaries and limits. The American Academy of Pediatrics has some decent suggestions for what is reasonable. Kids need to have guardrails and to increasingly be able to show they are able to self regulate. For our daughter with ADHD, self regulation is a constant struggle. She’s 19 and she still struggles, but she has good supports. Get help to set age appropriate boundaries and expectations, with love in your heart, and support your child to self regulate.

[Mamamichl]

it doesn’t create adhd, but it can exacerbate symptoms…Les like a diabetic is still a diabetic when on a good diet, but their symptoms come out more when they eat poorly.