Expert Questions Rising ADHD Diagnoses as Digital Overload Frays Attention for Children and Adults
Updated
Updated · tanea.com.au · Aug 14
Expert Questions Rising ADHD Diagnoses as Digital Overload Frays Attention for Children and Adults
2 articles · Updated · tanea.com.au · Aug 14
Summary
Dr. Amanda Sacks-Zimmerman said constant notifications, social media, emails and apps have created chronic overstimulation that makes sustained focus harder for both children and adults.
That strain is compounded by heavy reliance on digital tools and an overload of choices, which she said can weaken problem-solving and trigger “analysis paralysis.”
ADHD, she stressed, should be diagnosed only when symptoms significantly disrupt daily functioning, not treated as a simple synonym for poor attention.
Children are a particular concern because comparing them with an idealized “normal” child can turn natural differences in attention and behavior into perceived deficits.
The comments add to a broader debate over rising ADHD rates and whether diagnosis is best used as a support tool rather than a label that defines identity.