ADHD symptoms and problematic digital media use in emerging adults: Investigating the role of cognitive deficits as mediators

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between ADHD symptoms and problematic social media use (PSMU) and problematic gaming (PG) in a community sample of emerging adults. Cognitive deficits underlying ADHD – inhibitory control deficits, reward sensitivity, and temporal processing deficits – were investigated as potential mechanisms linking ADHD symptoms to PSMU and PG. In a sample of 111 emerging adults (Mage = 21.2, SD = 2.7; 84% female), ADHD symptoms, PSMU, and PG were assessed using self-report scales, while cognitive deficits were evaluated through both self-report scales and behavioural tasks. Parallel mediation analyses revealed significant positive direct effects between ADHD symptoms and both PSMU and PG, but found no significant mediating effects of the hypothesised mechanisms. Exploratory analyses suggested that inhibitory control and temporal processing deficits may play a role in linking hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms to PSMU, and inhibitory control deficits emerged as a possible transdiagnostic factor for concurrent ADHD symptoms and PSMU. Nonetheless, the main analyses did not support mediation by cognitive deficits, indicating no evidence that they explained the associations between ADHD symptoms and problematic digital media use. Future research may explore such prospective mechanisms in longitudinal designs with representative samples to inform interventions which may reduce problematic digital media use in individuals with elevated ADHD symptoms.