According to the New York Times, almost one in five teenagers in the US and 11 per cent of school children overall have received a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), US government data shows. The figures show a 41 per cent rise in diagnoses in the past decade. Two thirds of those diagnosed are prescribed stimulants like Ritalin.

The image above is UK prescriptions for Methylphenidate, used to treat attention deficit disorder, between 1991-2006 (latest I can find). The image below is UK internet access – households and individuals (ONS, 2012). I’m sure the similarity is pure coincidence.