AUTHOR=Uehara Izumi , Ikegaya Yuji 

TITLE=Online orientation in early school grades: relationship with ADHD, boredom, concentration tendencies, and mothers’ parenting styles

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1592563

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1592563

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=This study investigated factors associated with online orientation and preferences in lower-grade schoolchildren, focusing on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), boredom, and concentration tendencies in both children and mothers, as well as maternal parenting styles. Data were collected from 341 mothers (172 of boys, 169 of girls), who completed rating scales on these factors and reported their children’s preferred activities and those they could concentrate on for extended periods. Based on maternal responses, children were categorized into “online-concentrated” (n = 191) vs. “non-online-concentrated” (n = 150) and “online-play” (n = 95) vs. “non-online-play” (n = 246) groups. ADHD and boredom tendencies in children were strongly associated with an online orientation, while concentration tendencies were linked to a non-online orientation. Maternal boredom tendencies also appeared to influence children’s online orientation. Furthermore, higher maternal control was associated with increased engagement in non-online activities. These findings imply that parents should tailor their approach to managing children’s online activities based on their children’s individual traits (e.g., boredom and ADHD tendencies) while also considering their own behavioral tendencies, such as boredom.