Those with ADHD are more susceptible to developing addictions, because they have atypical dopamine functioning in the brain’s reward circuit which leads to a tendency to seek immediate gratification. As gaming causes dopamine to be released in the brain’s reward circuit, which controls the addictive behaviours that individuals with ADHD are vulnerable to, some believe that gaming can worsen the ADHD need for immediate gratification.
People with ADHD may be more likely to find the high stimulation of gaming attractive...
However, while these symptoms seem to be higher in the gaming community than in the general population, we shouldn’t use a correlation as evidence that gaming directly increases the severity of ADHD. The strong incentive to reach next level in videogames likely appeals to people with a need for immediate gratification, meaning people with ADHD may be more likely to find the high stimulation of gaming attractive to begin with.
Gaming improves the ability to focus on many things at once...
What’s more, gaming could actually be used to control and manage symptoms. For example, while adults with ADHD have problems multi-tasking, gaming improves the ability to focus on many things at once, and even increases neuronal connectivity between brain regions which control multi-tasking. Also, the ADHD brain may need more stimulation than neurotypical people, so gaming could provide a high-intensity distraction to help them focus. Therefore, while ADHD symptoms may make people more likely to become obsessed with gaming, there are ways that gaming can be used to make symptoms less debilitating!