Connected and Distracted: The Impact of High-Speed Internet on ADHD Outcomes in the U.S

Lucas Gurgel ()
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Lucas Gurgel: Department of Economics, University of Tennessee., https://sites.google.com/view/lucasgurgel

No 2025-05, Working Papers from University of Tennessee, Department of Economics

Abstract: I analyze the impact of high-speed internet connectivity on ADHD outcomes in the United States using county-level data from 2008 to 2023. Exploiting variation in the timing of broadband adoption, I employ two-way fixed effects models to estimate the effect of high-speed internet penetration on the demand for ADHD treatment drugs. I estimate that when counties surpassed 40\% high-speed internet connectivity, total demand for ADHD medications increased by 1.14 percent, with amphetamine-based medications showing the highest increase at 2.45 percent. These effects are more pronounced in smaller counties. I also find some evidence of increased special education enrollment, though these effects are less consistent across specifications. Using the American Time Use Survey to investigate possible mechanisms, I find suggestive evidence that youth, particularly boys, spend more time with computers as their areas gain high-speed connectivity, although small sample sizes yield imprecise estimates. These results suggest that the expansion of digital infrastructure may have contributed to the rise of ADHD diagnoses, with implications for public health policy regarding the broader health effects of increased high-speed internet connectivity.

Keywords: high-speed internet; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adhd); mental health; learning disabilities; digital exposure. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 I12 I18 I20 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 35
Date: 2025-05
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