How much of ADHD is a symptom of technology?

I took some VyVanse today and splooged, so this hypothesis has some validity.

 

I think modern technology has had a catastrophic effect on the mental health of the average person, but unlike something like war, which causes extreme acute stress and obvious trauma, modern technology is more subtle and far more insidious. It rots the brain over time, so slowly that you likely won't notice it happening. Social media and the news are the worst for this but I believe things like YouTube and other video sites, and some kinds of videogames, also contribute.

As for ADHD itself I'm by no means an expert but I think there's a lot of correlation between the symptoms of the condition and those of PMO addiction. I wonder how many people with ADHD are actually just suffering from an addiction to some form of digital vice.

 

I was “diagnosed” with ADD a couple years ago, and have been acutely frustrated with the entire experience. The diagnosis process is the same as taking a quiz from Teen Cosmo, to see which celebrity you should date. The criteria is relative, subjective, and it all seems to confirm the diagnosis they want. They medicate by giving you some of this and seeing if it works, and if it doesn’t, they change the dosage or change the medication. The most popular one is an amphetamine, and they insist it doesn’t have any unforeseen side effects. The substance is tightly controlled, so you’re not allowed to have more than 30 days worth at any given time, so the forgetful person is supposed to remember to call once a month and pick up a refill. When I took the medicine, I wasn’t “normal.” On the stimulant I was myself, faster. On the others, there was no difference appreciable enough to tell if it was working, or if it was a placebo. My wife decided it wasn’t working enough, so we switched. Then there’s the language surrounding it. They constantly told me it wasn’t my fault, but my behavior was unacceptable. That it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but it was imperative to change. That it wasn’t even an illness, really, but it has “disorder” in the name. That we prefer the phrase “neural atypical” to “crazy” or “disabled.”

So “neural atypical” is now my go-to insult.

We don’t know what it is, either, or if it’s under diagnosed or over diagnosed. I’ve heard it’s a dopamine deficiency. I’ve heard it’s a coping mechanism. It could be biological or environmental or it could be behavioral, we don’t know. It’s possible males are more prone to it, or maybe females present in a more subtle way so they slip under the proverbial radar, like with autism. Nobody knows. We can’t agree. The studies, in aggregate, are inconclusive.

Meantime, I was astonished to learn the average music listener doesn’t finish their 2:30 repetitive pop song. The average social media viewer prefers TikTok or YouTube shorts, and doesn’t finish those clips either. On Netflix, settling on a single thumbnail triggers the trailer, with noise and explosions in a stimulation orgy; dozens, even hundreds of selections vying for our attention screaming “pick me! pick me!” I, the supposedly ADD person, prefer longer songs, and long form content. I want to read the description for the movie, and I actually prefer novels over films. People used to sit and do nothing but listen to a single musical piece, for up to an hour. People used to do nothing but look at the stars. It seems like the modern era is designed to make us behave as if we had ADD, whatever that may be.

I think ADD is really just a way some people are, but modern Western life doesn’t reward that mode of being so we pathologize it, then try to gaslight ourselves because we don’t want to feel bad about it. Life as a hunter-gatherer, or as a light agriculturalist, rewarded action, multitasking, and adaptability; someone who could keep an eye out for danger or an opportunity while pursuing the assigned task, or someone who could repair the gear then dig the trench then call the sheep in while turning the cows out, and be ready to shear tomorrow and churn today. Now we are rewarded for sitting our asses down in a chair and focusing on tapping that keyboard and taking calls, hour after hour, day after day. A lot of people are not wired for that lifestyle. Instead of saying, “maybe they should do something different, then,” we say “that’s wrong, take a pill.” I don’t know what the solution is other than to tune out the peanut gallery and hone in on what you think a good person is, and work every day on being closer to your version of that.

 

suggest all to read the book "Digital Minimalism" by Cal Newport. It will show how anxiety & adhd has skyrocketed post technology invasion in our lives. A detailed research based book

 

Yeah this is crazy! Im glad I wasn't born with a digital device in the crib (born 1983)

 

I find this clip funny and insightful on what life can be like without technology:

If you weren't working or at a party you were lounging around the house or occupying yourself with literature or hobby. There was probably a lot more staring at blank walls than there is now, but is tiktok really any different than a blank wall? A lack of internet does seem to make us appreciate more the society of others and perhaps have a better gage of time (there is no bright screen deterring you from noticing that the sun is setting and what not).