UC Berkeley

Problematic Internet use (i.e., Internet use that disrupts functioning in other important domains; PIU) is increasingly prevalent worldwide, particularly among youth. One form of PIU relates specifically to interpersonal interaction and communication, deemed social PIU. Social PIU has been linked to various forms of psychopathology, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but with limited longitudinal studies, the direction of this association remains unclear. Moreover, little research has investigated potential mechanisms that may explain the link between ADHD and social PIU. The present study analyzed data from the largest longitudinal study of girls with childhood-diagnosed ADHD in existence (N=228), with four waves of data collection taking place from childhood (ages 6-12) to adulthood (ages 21-29). There were two primary goals: first, to clarify the direction of relations between ADHD symptoms and social PIU, and second, to investigate attachment anxiety and self-stigma as possible mechanisms explaining cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between ADHD and social PIU. Attachment anxiety was examined among the full sample, whereas self-stigma was examined only among the subsample of girls with childhood ADHD due to measurement constraints. Results were consistent with a bidirectional association between social PIU and the inattentive symptoms of ADHD only, with no relation to hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. Inattention in adolescence (but not childhood) was positively associated with social PIU in adolescence, which in turn predicted greater symptoms of inattention six years later. Attachment anxiety accounted for a significant proportion of the variance shared by social PIU and inattention in adolescence, underscoring the importance of relational patterns in understanding social PIU. Among the subsample of girls with childhood ADHD, self-stigma was unrelated to social PIU. Taken together, these findings highlight attention deficits and relationship-related anxiety as two factors that partially explain social PIU in girls, with the former also exacerbated by social PIU over time. Clinically, results point to the importance of monitoring adolescent girls for signs of social PIU, especially those with ADHD or persistent anxiety about navigating close relationships. With the ongoing proliferation and ubiquity of social media platforms, it is essential for researchers to continue identifying the antecedents and consequences of problematic social Internet use.