Is it possible that something as simple as a cartoon show can be causing ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) in children? According to a recent study, Spongebob may be doing just that. Roni Rabin of New York Times described the experiment as follows;
The study, which appeared in the Sept. 12 issue of the journal Pediatrics, involved 60 children whose parents reported similar levels of television-watching and attention skills. The children were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one watched nine minutes of the cartoon, another viewed nine minutes of the educational program “Caillou,” and the remaining group spent the time with drawing paper, markers and crayons.
The researchers then administered a series of tests which challenged the children's problem solving skills and memory. Reportedly, the children who had just watched Spongebob were "operating at half the capacity of the other children."
While it is true that nowadays, more and more children are being diagnosed with ADHD, but how can we be sure whether or not this is due to children being exposed to the media? There are many arguments for both sides. Children are currently exposed to more media, and media is a larger part of the lives of children and young people than it has ever been before. This may or may not correlate with the amount of children diagnosed with ADHD.
ADHD is also a rather new disorder, with more and more children being diagnosed with it as modern science learns more about it; for all we know, the amount of children currently diagnosed with ADHD would be the same as that of 50-60 years ago, had doctors known about ADHD.