# Brains built by algorithms: ADHD in the digital age—are we diagnosing pathology or pathologizing a new normal? - URL: https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0077 - Language: en - Last updated: not specified - Page title: Brains built by algorithms: ADHD in the digital age—are we diagnosing pathology or pathologizing a new normal? | WCP 2026 Summary > It is necessary to distinguish whether attention patterns altered by the digital environment reflect technology-related attentional dysfunction or neurodevelop… This page was translated automatically from Turkish. [Read the original](https://alisanburak.com/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0077) This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it. EV0077 E-PosterDigital Psychiatry and Artificial IntelligenceReview # Brains built by algorithms: ADHD in the digital age—are we diagnosing pathology or pathologizing a new normal? BRAINS BUILT BY ALGORITHMS: ADHD IN THE DIGITAL AGE - ARE WE DIAGNOSING PATHOLOGY OR PATHOLOGIZING A NEW NORMAL? Presenter: Sara Velhote Country: Portugal Institution: Unidade Local de Saúde Tâmega e Sousa, Departamento de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental It is necessary to distinguish whether attention patterns altered by the digital environment reflect technology-related attentional dysfunction or neurodevelopmental ADHD. The poster is a conceptual review discussing how attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be conceptualized in the digital age. Historically, the core symptom domains and criteria for ADHD were established between 1968 and 1994, assessment tools were developed between the 1970s and the 2010s, and digital media use became widespread between the 2000s and the 2020s. The only quantitative finding reported in the poster is a 10% increase in the odds of ADHD symptoms for each additional high-frequency digital media activity. At the neurobiological level, the poster highlights reduced prefrontal cortical thickness (associated with reduced impulse control and executive functioning) and increased activity in reward regions (conditioning toward immediate gratification). Whereas the old paradigm involved sustained attention to nonpreferred tasks, delayed gratification, fewer competing stimuli, and stable attentional demands, the new paradigm emphasizes rapid task switching, immediate gratification, constant novelty, variable attentional demands, and potentially context-dependent performance, with difficulties interpreted as pathological under the old paradigm. The authors compare two interpretations: the potential benefits of purposeful use (learning and creativity, attentional control, skill development) and the potential costs of passive consumption (distractibility, reduced control, impulsivity, fragmentation of attention). The proposed approach is to distinguish technology-related attentional dysfunction from neurodevelopmental ADHD, account for the context dependence of cognitive performance, and recognize adaptive cognitive diversity. [View the original poster](https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/2204) How to cite this study APA 7: Velhote, S., Correia, D. M., & Ribeiro, B. (2026, September 23-26). Brains built by algorithms: adhd in the digital age - are we diagnosing pathology or pathologizing a new normal? [E-poster]. 26th WPA World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP 2026), Stockholm, Sweden. https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/2204 Vancouver: Velhote S, Correia DM, Ribeiro B. Brains built by algorithms: adhd in the digital age - are we diagnosing pathology or pathologizing a new normal? [e-poster]. 26th WPA World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP 2026); 2026 Sep 23-26; Stockholm, Sweden. Available from: https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/2204 Author names and title formatting were generated automatically from the congress system; please check them against the original poster before use. ## On the same topic - [Siber tanıkların davranışını belirleyen etkenler](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0041) - [Z kuşağında sosyal medyanın "lunapark etkisi"nin modellenmesi: örtük değişken yaklaşımı](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0046) - [DEHB'de dijital girişimler: etkililik ve çok modlu tedavi yaklaşımlarına entegrasyon](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0072) - [Genç erişkin bir örneklemde nomofobi ile yaygın anksiyete bozukluğu arasındaki ilişki](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0111) - [Sosyal anksiyete bozukluğunda uzaktan ve kendi kendine yürütülen maruz bırakma terapisi için sanal ortam tasarımı ve doğrulaması](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0113) [All WCP 2026 summaries](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler) --- Kaynak / Source: https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0077 İletişim / Contact: Bağdat Caddesi, Veli Güneysu Apt. 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