The role of media entertainment in children’s and adolescents’ ADHD-related behaviors: A reason for concern?

Recent decades have witnessed an increasing concern that excessive use of entertainment media (i.e., television programs and games) may elicit ADHD-related behaviors in children and adolescents. However, the existing empirical research has not yet resulted in a clear picture of this association. The goal of this dissertation is therefore to provide a detailed understanding of the association between media use and ADHD-related behaviors. This dissertation consists of three parts. The first part aims to describe differences in media use associated with ADHD-related behaviors. In the second part, the role of individual difference factors in the media-ADHD relationship are examined. The third part examines the causal direction of the media-ADHD relationship. The findings of this dissertation may help inform public concerns and offer practical insights to healthcare professionals and parents.