Social media addiction and procrastination behavior in adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Social media is an attractive distraction for individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Recent research has shown a correlation between ADHD and procrastination, complicating the relationship between ADHD and social media addiction. Procrastination may be a coping mechanism for individuals with ADHD to avoid tasks that require sustained attention and effort. This study examined the relationship between ADHD symptoms and social media use and the interaction of procrastination. The study was conducted with 294 participants between the ages of 18 and 65 using online questionnaires. The scales used included the Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale (ASRS), the Social Media Addiction Scale, the General Procrastination Behavior Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0. Social media is an attractive distraction for individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Recent research has shown a correlation between ADHD and procrastination, complicating the relationship between ADHD and social media addiction. Procrastination may be a coping mechanism for individuals with ADHD to avoid tasks that require sustained attention and effort. This study examined the relationship between ADHD symptoms and social media use and the interaction of procrastination. The study was conducted with 294 participants aged 18-65 using online surveys. The scales used included the Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale (ASRS), the Social Media Addiction Scale, the General Procrastination Behavior Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0. It revealed that individuals with higher ADHD scores had higher social media addiction scores compared to those with lower scores. This finding is consistent with previous studies indicating that ADHD symptoms affect social media use. However, our study did not find a significant effect of gender on social media addiction. In contrast, previous studies suggest that female gender is more associated with social media addiction. Our study also showed that individuals with high social media addiction also have high depression scores, which is consistent with existing studies in the literature. When gender differences were examined, it was found that female participants had significantly higher depression scores than male participants. This finding is consistent with the literature indicating that women are more prone to internalizing disorders such as depression and anxiety. As a result of examining ADHD symptoms in terms of gender differences, it was determined that women had higher attention deficit scores than men, but men had higher hyperactivity-impulsivity scores. In our study, it was determined that ADHD and depression scores of participants who were not in a relationship were significantly higher than participants who were in a relationship. This finding is consistent with existing studies indicating that ADHD can cause social and relational difficulties. ADHD scores were found to strongly and positively predict both procrastination and social media addiction, which is consistent with the literature emphasizing the link between ADHD and various addictive behaviors. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the effects of ADHD on social media addiction and procrastination, and these findings are consistent with existing research in the literature. It is anticipated that treatment of ADHD may play a role in preventing social media addiction and procrastination. These findings highlight the continuing effects of ADHD in adulthood and the wide-ranging effects of this disorder on individuals' daily lives.