In today’s rapidly changing world, it seems that society is determined to label everyone with some kind of condition or disorder. The latest victim of this incessant labeling is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. According to the CDC’s criteria, it may seem like many children could be diagnosed with ADHD. After all, which child doesn’t fidget, daydream, or occasionally forget things? However, genuine ADHD diagnosis requires symptoms to be persistent and impairing across multiple settings, turning certain patterns of behavior into criteria for medical evaluation.
This trend started gaining traction as more distractions emerged in our daily lives. With the advent of smartphones and social media, children (and adults) are spending hours glued to screens every day. As distractions increase, it seems some folks are quick to attribute our natural responses to these stimuli as disorders. However, CDC guidelines do not explicitly link increased ADHD diagnoses to digital distractions, but rather focus on persistent symptoms described in the DSM-5 criteria.
Considering the CDC’s criteria, one might wonder if society is mistaking basic childhood curiosity and energy for disorders that require medical attention. Making careless mistakes? Taking unnecessary risks? These behaviors only contribute to a diagnosis when they persistently impair functioning in multiple settings. Currently, rigorous evaluation ensures other conditions are also ruled out, emphasizing careful diagnosis rather than over-diagnosis.
What we need is a return to common sense. Instead of slapping medical labels on every child who can’t sit still, perhaps we should acknowledge how cluttered our environments have become. This isn’t about having some massive mental health epidemic; it’s about understanding genuine ADHD as described in DSM-5 criteria, distinguished from typical childhood behaviors by significant disruptive impacts across areas like school and home.
The irony is, all these “symptoms” are part of human nature and have been long before screens took over our lives. Instead of categorizing children as having mental disorders for acting like children, we might step back and consider that they’re responding quite normally to a world filled with unnecessary distractions. Let’s not forget, children need play and exploration—not over-diagnosis of their natural exuberance, but also a legitimate understanding when ADHD genuinely impairs their life experiences.
