According to the American Psychiatric Association, ADHD, known as Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is “one of the most common mental disorders affecting children”. Symptoms of ADHD include being unable to focus, hyperactivity unfit to the setting, and impulsivity. However, the line between ADHD and normal human behavior has become blurred recently, due to many misconceptions.
For instance, one of the most common misconceptions about ADHD is that it only affects children, specifically boys. It is indeed true that a majority of those diagnosed with ADHD are boys. However, approximately 6% of girls are also diagnosed with the illness. Additionally, many cases of ADHD go away by the time children develop into adults. Therefore, the immature and rowdy nature of young boys may be a factor in their ADHD diagnosis at a young age. However, by the time children’s brains have fully developed and matured, ADHD is much less prevalent and common among populations.
Another common misconception of ADHD is that it is caused by bad parenting. Obviously, a lack of attention and care from the parents can lead to mental illnesses. The brain goes through most of its growth during its younger stages, so parenting is especially important in developing children’s mental configurations. However, it is a significant overgeneralization to say that all cases of ADHD are caused by bad parenting. Genetics, brain injury, environmental risks during pregnancy, premature delivery, and low birth weight are all factors that have been proven to be correlated with ADHD. The issue cannot be simplified to merely bad parenting.
A notable issue with ADHD in the modern age is how the term has lost its value due to social media. Now, ADHD is being used to describe any sort of impulsive or weird behavior on social media and among youth, rather than carrying its original meaning of being a mental illness. It has been normalized as a joking term, rather than being addressed as an issue among youth. The root of ADHD’s normalization is within the illness’ severity. Since it only affects a small minority of children and is often curable through education or time, the illness has unfortunately been undermined as a real issue.
Works Cited
“What Is ADHD?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Sept. 2023, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html#:~:text=Causes%20of%20ADHD&text=Recent%20studies%20link%20genetic%20factors%20with%20ADHD.&text=In%20addition%20to%20genetics%2C%20scientists,or%20at%20a%20young%20age.
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