Video games could well aggravate ADHD, but only after a certain age, according to a Quebec team.
The egg or the chicken? For a long time, scientists have hesitated: do children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) play more video games, or do video games themselves worsen the disorder? A Quebec study has just decided.
To conduct his analysis, Gabriel Tiraboschi, postdoctoral student at the University of Sherbrooke, relied on the Longitudinal Study of Child Development in Quebec. This vast survey followed thousands of children born in 1998, collecting all kinds of variables on their living conditions and habits. The cohort studied here included more than 1700 children and focused on their development between the ages of 6 and 10 years.
The results of the study published in the summer of 2025, are clear: from 6 to 8 years old, it is the symptoms of ADHD that lead to increased use of video games. “From 6 to 7 years old, there is an increase in playing time, and the trend continues at 8 years old,” summarizes Gabriel Tiraboschi, who works in the team of Gabrielle Garon-Carrier and Caroline Fitzpatrick, professors in the Department of Psychoeducation.
