{"id":100221,"date":"2025-09-02T10:47:57","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T08:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=100221"},"modified":"2025-09-02T10:47:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T08:47:57","slug":"adhd-in-the-digital-age-experts-warn-of-attention-crisis-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/adhd-in-the-digital-age-experts-warn-of-attention-crisis-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"ADHD in the Digital Age: Experts Warn of Attention Crisis in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 September 2025 | 10:47 CAT
\n3-minute read<\/p>\n

\"\"

Image: The New Yorker<\/p><\/div>\n

Attention has become one of the scarcest resources of our time, with nearly half of adults globally believing their ability to focus has worsened. In South Africa, where an estimated 2,5% to 4,3% of people live with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), this challenge is compounded by a lack of diagnosis and treatment, as well as the unrelenting pull of screens.<\/p>\n

Professor Renata Schoeman, head of the MBA in Healthcare Leadership at Stellenbosch Business School, says<\/a> the problem extends far beyond ADHD itself, with technology reshaping how our brains pay attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis pull that we sit with \u2014 the decrease in our attention spans aggravated by online time \u2014 worsens the lack of access to services and diagnosis and proper treatment of ADHD in South Africa. And I see so many students and patients that present with ADHD-like symptoms when it\u2019s in fact not ADHD,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

Schoeman was speaking ahead of the Sixth Southern African Multidisciplinary ADHD Congress<\/strong>, which begins this week under the theme \u201cADHD in the Digital Age: Thriving in a World of Distraction.\u201d<\/em> The virtual event, hosted in collaboration with the Goldilocks and the Bear Foundation and Stellenbosch Business School, is expected to attract more than 500 participants from over a dozen countries. It will showcase new research and practical strategies for managing ADHD and attention difficulties in today\u2019s highly digitalised world.<\/p>\n

Globally, research supports Professor Schoeman\u2019s concerns. A 2023 study published in Nature Communications<\/em> found that heavy digital multitasking is linked to poorer attention regulation and lower academic performance. Similarly, the World Health Organization officially recognised \u201cgaming disorder\u201d in 2019, while researchers have also highlighted \u201cinternet addiction disorder\u201d as a growing concern \u2014 conditions closely tied to excessive screen use.<\/p>\n

Professor Schoeman says the trends are evident in everyday life.<\/p>\n

\u201cTen years ago, we were building puzzles, we were reading books, we were sitting in lectures without a problem. These days, every five minutes, a channel needs to be changed, or there\u2019s the incessant scrolling on the cell phones. Teachers need to pull out all bells and whistles in the classroom to keep their attention in class,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n

For those worried about their own screen time or that of their children, Professor Schoeman suggests practical strategies rooted in discipline and balance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can put digital boundaries in place, meaning certain times I\u2019m offline, I detox, I also manage my apps and my notifications not to disrupt me from other tasks, and I have designated tech-free zones \u2014 for example, bedrooms shouldn\u2019t have any technology \u2014 that is good boundaries,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

But while lifestyle changes are important, experts stress that professional help may be necessary when digital habits spiral into addiction. Internet addiction disorder is now formally recognised, with studies showing many people underestimate how much time they actually spend online. According to Statista<\/em>, South Africans spend an average of 9 hours and 24 minutes online each day \u2014 one of the highest rates globally.<\/p>\n

Porfessor Schoeman warns that the consequences are far-reaching, from impaired productivity to deteriorating mental health. Yet she remains hopeful that awareness, education, and responsible digital use can restore balance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot get away from technology. It\u2019s very, very useful. But we must be careful that it doesn\u2019t control us,\u201d she emphasised.<\/p>\n

Listen <\/strong>to the full interview<\/a> on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2 September 2025 | 10:47 CAT 3-minute read Attention has become one of the scarcest resources of our time, with nearly half of adults globally believing their ability to focus has worsened. In South Africa, where an estimated 2,5% to 4,3% of people live with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), this challenge is compounded by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":100222,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4995],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-south-africa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-02-104336.png?fit=330%2C462&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-q4t","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-29 17:01:31","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100221\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}