Is Social Media Affecting Your Focus? Understanding ADHD-like Symptoms in the Age of Reels and Scrolls

In today’s digital world, it’s not unusual to feel like your attention span has shrunk. If you’ve ever caught yourself jumping from app to app, forgetting why you opened your phone in the first place, or struggling to complete tasks that used to feel manageable — you’re not alone.

Social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube (especially Youtube Shorts) are designed to be fast, stimulating, and endlessly scrollable. But they’re also rewiring how we pay attention — and in some cases, they may be contributing to symptoms that resemble ADHD.

ADHD vs. ADHD-like Symptoms

First, it’s important to understand the difference between having a clinical diagnosis of ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and experiencing ADHD-like symptoms due to lifestyle or environmental factors.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that begins in childhood and often continues into adulthood. It involves persistent patterns of inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity across multiple settings.

ADHD-like symptoms, on the other hand, can emerge when the brain is overstimulated, under-slept, emotionally dysregulated, or constantly interrupted — as often happens with high social media use.

How Social Media Affects Focus and Mood

Apps like TikTok and Instagram are carefully designed to capture your attention — and keep it.

Here’s how they can affect your brain and behaviour:

• Short-form content trains your brain for novelty: Reels and Shorts reward the brain’s dopamine system with rapid bursts of stimulation. Over time, your brain may crave that kind of quick reward — making longer or less stimulating tasks (like studying, working, or reading) feel boring or frustrating.

• Constant notifications interrupt focus: Repeated alerts create a stop-start pattern of attention, which can make it harder to complete tasks or remain engaged for long periods.

• Multitasking becomes the norm: Switching between apps, videos, and chats can impair the brain’s ability to focus deeply — something we refer to as “attention residue.”

• Dopamine dysregulation: Social media creates a powerful feedback loop of likes, views, and instant gratification. This can overstimulate the brain’s reward system, affecting how we feel pleasure and motivation in offline life.

• Emotional dysregulation: Algorithms (automated systems that decide what content you see based on what you’ve watched, liked, or interacted with in the past) often surface intense content (outrage, drama, fear, etc.), which can leave users feeling emotionally depleted or dysregulated without even realising it.

But Does This Mean I Have ADHD?

Not necessarily.

If you’re noticing increased forgetfulness, low motivation, irritability, or difficulty focusing, it’s worth looking at context before jumping to conclusions. These symptoms might be a response to:

• High screen and app usage

• Poor sleep hygiene

• Stress, anxiety, or low mood

• A lack of structure or routine

• Unprocessed trauma

• Overstimulation or burnout

That said, for some people, social media may intensify underlying ADHD symptoms — or mask them — which is why working with a psychologist can be so helpful.

How Therapy Can Help

In therapy, we take a whole-person approach to understanding attention and focus. You don’t need to have a diagnosis to benefit from support. Some of the ways therapy can help include:

🧠 Psychoeducation

You’ll learn how social media affects the brain, attention, and emotional regulation — giving you the insight to make informed choices.

🛠 Practical tools

We explore focus-enhancing strategies, time management, and digital boundaries — tailored to your lifestyle and goals.

🌱 Behavioural change

Therapy can support you to gently reintroduce offline activities that bring joy, creativity, and sustained attention — from hobbies to exercise to meaningful conversations.

🔎 ADHD assessment and support

If ADHD is a possibility, a clinician can explore this with you and guide next steps, whether that’s diagnosis or support with attention-related challenges.

The Takeaway

The problem isn’t that you’re “lazy” or “unmotivated.” Your brain is trying to function in a highly stimulating, fast-paced digital environment — and sometimes, it gets overloaded.

Therapy can help you understand what’s really going on and develop strategies to support your focus, mood, and wellbeing.

If you’re feeling scattered, forgetful, or emotionally overwhelmed — and wondering whether social media might be playing a part — it’s okay to reach out. You don’t have to figure it out alone.