The contribution of video technology to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adolescents. The most debated issue when it comes to children's attention span is the negative impact that video technology can have. Particularly video games, which are a relatively new media area to consider and are ubiquitous throughout our society with usage of up to 160 million users. There is no doubt that they are a powerful source of entertainment for children in today's society. In recent years, researchers have become concerned about the number of cases of attention disorders identified among adolescents and their relationship to video technology. While most agree that more research needs to be done, others disagree and point to the benefits that video games have shown to improve education. Although research has shown that playing video games can improve education, video games contribute to attention problems, as adolescents who spend more time playing video games have more ADHD symptoms, and research and case studies prove it. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), classified as a psychiatric disorder, affects many adolescents. Much research has been done on the relationship between television and the possible harm it can have on children's ability to stay focused. While most television programs are produced purely for entertainment purposes, the violence depicted in them constitutes the main message of most programs. This same concept also applies to video games, where the theme of most games involves shooting, killing, and annihilation. It would be safe to say that most video game content has no educational benefit. The study by Swing et al (2010) found the following:M...... middle of paper ......y. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 1(1), 62-70. doi:10.1037/a0026969American Academy of Pediatrics. (2013). Media and children. Retrieved December 8, 2013 from http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/pages/media-and-children.Lingineni, R., Biswas, S., Ahmad, N., Jackson, B., Bae, S. and Singh, K. (2012). Factors associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in American children: Results from a national survey. Bmc Pediatrics, 12.Russell, W.D. and Newton, M. (2008). Short-term psychological effects of interactive video game technology exercise on mood and attention. Journal Of Educational Technology & Society, 11(2), 294-308. Swing, E., Gentile, D., Anderson, C., & Walsh, D. (2010). Exposure to television and video games and the development of attention problems. Pediatrics, 126(2), 214-221. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-1508.