Video Games And ADHD: What’s The Connection?

There is often speculation about whether video games may play a role in the development or severity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its symptoms. Supporting evidence on both sides can be found, leading to inconclusive results overall. While parents are typically encouraged to manage their children’s video game and internet usage, it’s possible that skill-building video games may be used for ADHD treatment at some point in the future. Often, engaging in activities like music, art, and sports can be helpful for children with ADHD, while their parents may benefit from online therapy, where they can receive support.

Video game addiction and other concerns

Video games have been under investigation regarding their potential role in contributing to an ADHD diagnosis. Because of this disorder’s general status as a relatively new condition, many have questioned whether the frequent use of electronics could be to blame for ADHD.

Offline gaming, specifically, has been questioned because it does not typically facilitate communication skills when compared to online games, where players can often join groups, chat with friends, and work as a team to develop social skills.

Despite this, even online games may be problematic for certain individuals. According to the World Health Organization, in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), gaming disorder is defined as “a pattern of gaming behavior (“digital-gaming” or “video-gaming”) characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.”  This may apply to general screen time as well. Internet addiction (video games included) has been described by some as a genuine health concern.

While time playing video games can be an issue, some believe that too much gaming may worsen ADHD symptoms. 

The effects of playing video games on the ADHD brain

Due to the often-stimulating nature of video games, people with ADHD tend to be vulnerable to video game addiction. In addition, video games may reinforce specific traits that are prominent within the condition.

While three hours per day may be the average time spent on electronics, it has been shown that adolescents who spend just one hour a day playing games or using the Internet can have more severe symptoms than those who do not participate in these activities.

Video games can be attractive to those with ADHD because they typically offer immediate rewards, and there are often great incentives to reach the next stage of a game. This can encourage the user to play video games without stopping.

Screen changes in video games tend to happen quickly. In addition, video games generally don’t demand attention or working memory from the user, nor does focusing on the screen typically require much effort.

Additionally, the relationship between ADHD and games may also involve the reward pathway in the brain, and patients who have the condition tend to continually seek its stimulation.

Research shows that stimulation video games can amplify the release of striatal dopamine and encourage reward dependency. This can also correlate with a previous study that shows that individuals with Internet addiction often had the same increased reward dependency. These same genes can be tied to alcoholism, pathological gambling, and other types of addictive behaviors.

How and why does this happen?

Although gaming has many features that can attract those with ADHD, it is hypothesized that there could be a “bidirectional relationship” between the two. Gaming may provide things that individuals with ADHD want; however, it can also make the condition worse by exacerbating symptoms.

Below are some symptoms of ADHD that are believed to be reinforced by prolonged video game use:

• Disinhibition
• Quick responsiveness
• Need for rewards
• Inattention
• Impulsivity

Because of this, it is speculated that spending more time on video games can increase the negative effects that ADHD has on scholastic performance, an area where many young people may experience challenges.

Impact on students with ADHD in the classroom

Sitting in class and completing homework can be challenging. Students with ADHD struggle because these activities often require mental effort. Aside from receiving good grades, there may not be immediate incentives for completing school work efficiently.

The combination of ADHD and games may be problematic because it can allow these symptoms to affect important aspects of life rather than relieving them by promoting skill-building and behavioral changes.

Other activities such as sports, martial arts, music, and art are often argued to be a more effective and better use of one's time for someone with ADHD because they can improve attention, self-control, self-discipline, and behavioral intervention.

Can online play help?

Video games have frequently been a cause for concern, particularly with parents, because of the potential problems presented in the previous two sections. However, it may be possible that these games could be helpful in other ways for those with ADHD.

Both anecdotal and empirical evidence may point to games having a positive effect on the minds of those with ADHD. This may not discredit the other research, but it can offer another perspective on the issue at hand.

Contrary to the notion that time spent gaming reinforces inattention, many parents of children with ADHD have reported that gaming can be evidence of good attention. Certain games may also improve reading skills if the game is more text-driven. Role-playing games may be a good example of this because they are often lengthy. Using text for game dialogue may be both traditional and practical, as it could be very expensive to apply voice-acting to every part of these games.

Technology-based treatment approaches

Instead of relying solely on medication, there have been many new technology-based approaches to treat ADHD, like memory, attention, and inhibitory control, and their effects can be measured through EEG and neurofeedback.

Through this kind of software, game developers can help children learn relevant skills that could be applied to real life. For example, training inhibitory control could help people resist sweet foods.

As mentioned previously, the brain's reward pathway often plays a crucial role in the relationship between ADHD and video games. Cognitive training is generally designed to be fun and engaging, and it tends to reward good performance. However, this could also be a downside in supporting the case that games are beneficial due to the level of instant rewards and instant gratification they provide, which may lead children to hyper focus on them.

Because these studies are typically controlled and specifically created to address various skills, they may only make a case for those specific games. Recreational games typically are not designed with any particular skills in mind and may make task switching more difficult, so it may not be accurate to say that all games can be assets.

Despite this disclaimer, it could still be possible that video game play that actively promotes skill-building could be the future of treating ADHD, and it might be another avenue to try alongside medication and therapy.

Online therapy may be helpful for parents of children with ADHD

Parenting a child with ADHD can come with various stressors, and one way for parents to learn how to handle their stress healthily could be through therapy. Online therapy can be an excellent alternative to face-to-face therapy for those with busy schedules, as you can connect with a licensed therapist from the comfort of your own home at a time that works for you.

According to one systematic review, online therapy can be highly effective in treating a number of mental health concerns, especially anxiety and the effects of stress. If you’re a parent experiencing anxiety, stress, or any other mental health challenges, you may wish to consider giving online therapy a try.