What New Research Says About Screen Time & ADHD (And Why Online Advice Gets It Wrong)

About this episode

Ryan and Mike discuss the impact of screen time on children with ADHD and challenge common misconceptions about screens.

In this episode, Ryan and Mike discuss how screen time impacts the executive functioning skills already delayed in kids with ADHD — things like impulse control, attention shifting, and cognitive flexibility. They challenge the popular online messaging that frames screens as "social" or "regulating" for neurodivergent kids, arguing that these messages make parents feel better but don't actually build skills in children. They also cover practical advice for managing school-issued devices, why parents don't need their child's buy-in to set screen limits, and why short-term calm from screens comes at the cost of long-term development. Find Mike @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.grownowadhd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ & on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find Ryan @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.adhddude.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ & on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube⁠⁠⁠ {{chapters}} [00:00:00] Start [00:00:34] Screen Time Realities for Working Parents [00:03:44] The 2025 Longitudinal Brain Study [00:04:28] How Screens Alter Executive Function Development [00:05:45] Why In-Person Interaction Builds Skills [00:08:05] The Myth That Screens Are Social [00:10:19] Why "Screens Are Regulating" Appeals to Parents [00:11:30] Your Child Is Not Your…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ryan, Mike

Topics covered

• screen time
• ADHD
• executive functioning
• parenting advice
• neurodivergent kids
• school devices
• long-term development

Keywords

• screen time
• ADHD
• executive functioning
• parenting
• neurodiversity
• impulse control
• attention shifting
• cognitive flexibility
• school devices
• screen limits

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: www.grownowadhd.com, www.adhddude.com, IG, Youtube

Books & works: The 2025 Longitudinal Brain Study

More episodes of The ADHD Parenting Podcast

• ADHD Medication: What Parents Need to Know | Part 1 · June 10, 2026 · 18 min
• Debunking Four ADHD Parenting Myths · May 27, 2026 · 19 min
• Stop Lowering The Bar. Why High Expectations Are The Most Loving Thing For ADHD Kids · May 13, 2026 · 28 min
• Why ADHD Kids Struggle with Reading and Writing · April 29, 2026 · 25 min
• ADHD Kids and Consequences – What the Research Says · April 15, 2026 · 28 min
• Stepping Into Your Parental Authority · March 25, 2026 · 39 min