Supporting Technology Use by Neurodivergent Tweens and Teens

Question: What impact does social media have on neurodivergent youth? How can I support my child?  

Answer: Thank you for asking these important questions! Social media affects everyone differently. For kids who are neurodivergent—like those with autism, ADHD, or mental health challenges—social media can be both helpful and harmful. 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 

Kids with ASD often use technology more than others. Many parents say that it has a positive impact on their child’s life. Teens with ASD also usually describe their experience with social networking sites as being positive.  

Youth and young adults with ASD may prefer apps like YouTube for entertainment, instead of apps for communication like Snapchat. Research has also shown that children with ASD are more likely to use therapeutic apps on their devices than children without a diagnosis.  

Social media can help adolescents with ASD:  

• Make friends and feel more secure in friendships. 
• Plan activities and have smoother conversations. 
• Explore their interests and connect with others who understand them. 

But there are also increased risks to social media for those with ASD: 

• Ads can tempt them to spend money online when they hadn’t intended to. 
• Regular prompts to engage with online “friends” might cause them to believe they are close friends even if they are strangers, which can be unsafe. 
• Even small mistakes online can lead to feeling left out. 
• They may be more likely to experience harm from cyberbullying. 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 

Teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may use the internet more and sometimes in unhealthy ways.  

Reasons include: 

• Not enough rules at home or unclear expectations. 
• Their brains may prefer quick rewards, which social media gives. 
• They may take more risks online to get attention or feel accepted. 

More research is needed to understand how social media might help teens with ADHD. 

Pre-existing Mental Health Conditions 

Youth with pre-existing mental health conditions can also experience different benefits and drawbacks of social media use. Social media can help teens with depression or anxiety feel less alone. It lets them talk to others without showing who they are, which can feel safer. Positive use—like exploring identity—can improve their mood. But negative use—like comparing themselves to others or being bullied—can make things worse. 

Identifying Problematic Use 

While neurodivergent children may use technology differently and sometimes more often than children without a diagnosis, that does not necessarily mean they are at greater risk for unhealthy use. All children and youth can practice healthy media skills, such as setting boundaries, to help build a healthy and positive relationship with technology use. 

If you are worried that a young person may be struggling with problematic technology use, look for changes in their behavior, such as:   

• Lower grades due to overuse of technology   
• Avoiding offline social contacts to be online  
• Being emotionally withdrawn due to negative experiences on technology  

If you’d like to learn more about the signs of problematic internet use, we have a previous portal question on the topic.  

How Can Parents Help Neurodivergent Youth Use Technology in Healthy Ways? 

Here are some tips: 

• Establish Boundaries 
  • Set screen-free times of day or zones that work for your family. 
    • For example, at dinner, on short car trips, or 1 hour before bedtime. 
  • Talk about what’s safe to share online. 
  • Remember: apps are designed to keep kids watching or scrolling. 
• Use Helpful Tools 
  • Use the 5 C’s of Media Use to help determine age-appropriate healthy habits and connect with your child.  
  • Create a Family Media Plan to decide when and how media is used. 
• Talk Often  
  • Have open conversations, early and often. 
  • Build trust so your child feels safe coming to you with problems. 
  • Use these Conversation Starters to help. 
• Teach and Show Safe Habits 
  • Explain what’s safe and what’s not online. 
  • Show good habits yourself—kids learn by watching. 

If you're worried about your child’s media use, talk to your pediatrician. They can help you make a plan that works for your family. 

References 

• Alhujaili, N., Platt, E., Khalid-Khan, S., & Groll, D. (2022). Comparison of Social Media Use Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Non-ASD Adolescents. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 13, 15–21.  
• Alon-Tirosh, M., & Meir, N. (2023). Use of social network sites among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a qualitative study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1192475.   
• Cardillo, R., Marino, C., Collini, M., Vieno, A., Spada, M. M., & Mammarella, I. C. (2025). Browsing problematic social media use in autism spectrum disorder: The role of social anxiety. Addictive Behaviors, 162, 108225. 
• Cardy, R., Smith, C., Suganthan, H., Jiang, Z., Wang, B., Malihi, M., ... & Kushki, A. (2023). Patterns and impact of technology use in autistic children. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 108, 102253.   
• Dekkers, T. J., & van Hoorn, J. (2022). Understanding Problematic Social Media Use in Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Narrative Review and Clinical Recommendations. Brain Sciences, 12(12), 1625.  
• Eden, S., Heiman, T., Olenik-Shemesh, D., & Yablon, Y. B. (2025). Cyberbullying and problematic internet use in adolescents with ADHD: exploring the relationship with moral disengagement and social skills. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1577900. 
• Halkett, A., & Hinshaw, S. P. (2024). Problematic social Internet use and associations with ADHD symptoms in girls: a longitudinal observational study. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 2850. 
• Kuo, M. H., Orsmond, G. I., Coster, W. J., & Cohn, E. S. (2014). Media use among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 18(8), 914–923. 
• Lane, R., & Radesky, J. (2019). Digital media and autism spectrum disorders: Review of evidence, theoretical concerns, and opportunities for intervention. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 40(5), 364-368. 
• Lu, Y., Pan, T., Liu, J., & Wu, J. (2021). Does Usage of Online Social Media Help Users with Depressed Symptoms Improve Their Mental Health? Empirical Evidence From an Online Depression Community. Frontiers in Public Health, 8.  
• Nagata, J.M., Huang, O., Hur, J.O. et al. Health Benefits of Social Media Use in Adolescents and Young Adults. Curr Pediatr Rep 13, 22 (2024).   
• O’Day, E. B., & Heimberg, R. G. (2021). Social media use, social anxiety, and loneliness: A systematic review. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 3, 100070.   
• Page, X., Capener, A., Cullen, S., Wang, T., Garfield, M., & J. Wisniewski, P. (2022). Perceiving Affordances Differently: The Unintended Consequences When Young Autistic Adults Engage with Social Media. CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–21.  
• Radovic, A., Gmelin, T., Stein, B. D., & Miller, E. (2017). Depressed adolescents’ positive and negative use of social media. Journal of Adolescence, 55, 5–15.  
• Stiller, A., & Mößle, T. (2018). Media Use Among Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 5(3), 227–246.  
• Thorell, L. B., Burén, J., Ström Wiman, J., Sandberg, D., & Nutley, S. B. (2024). Longitudinal associations between digital media use and ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents: A systematic literature review. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 33(8), 2503–2526.  
• Van Schalkwyk, G. I., Marin, C. E., Ortiz, M., Rolison, M., Qayyum, Z., McPartland, J. C., Lebowitz, E. R., Volkmar, F. R., & Silverman, W. K. (2017). Social Media Use, Friendship Quality, and the Moderating Role of Anxiety in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(9), 2805–2813.  

Age: 10-24 

Topics: Neurodivergent, Autism Spectrum, ASD, ADHD 

Role: Parent