Millennial technology pro ers previously unimaginable opportunities which have forever changed much of our daily lives. Conversely, technology and devices have also become the newest and most potentially dangerous “drugs of choice”. Those struggling with anxiety, depression and other mental, emotional or behavioural issues seem to be at an even greater risk for technology “addiction”. Recent research has indicated that it can lower relationship and life satisfaction in couples. Similarly, adolescents who struggled with device management had lower levels of self esteem and were more likely to manifest social anxiety disorders. Dr. Grant will explore this newest nemesis currently growing to seemingly pandemic global proportions, illustrating both the positive and potentially negative e ects of technology, and o er strategies and skills to help promote healthy device management and to practice good “Digital Citizenship.”
2. Do you contemplate the affect / effect your posts
might have before posting them?
Do you edit your posts?
What is your REAL motive / goal / need
for posting, “LIKE”-ing, and/or “Friend”-ing,
…or NOT?
3. And now…
The most DREADED words ever spoken in the history of mankind…
5. TECHNOLOGY / INTERNET
ADDICTION
Any online-related, compulsive behavior which
compromises biological, psychological, and/or
sociological balance, interferes with normal
living, and causes severe stress on self, family,
friends, and loved ones
• Not included in the DSM-5 as a diagnosable condition, but “Internet
Gaming Disorder” IS listed under “Conditions For Further Study”
Pediatrics. 2017 Nov;140(Suppl 2):S81-S85. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-1758H.
Internet Gaming Disorder in Children and Adolescents.
Gentile DA1, Bailey K2, Bavelier D3,4, Brockmyer JF5, Cash H6, Coyne SM7, Doan A8, Grant DS9, Green CS10, Griffiths
M11, Markle T12, Petry NM13, Prot S14, Rae CD6, Rehbein F15, Rich M16, Sullivan D17, Woolley E18, Young K19.
6. 1. UK adults spend an average of 8 hours 41 minutes a day on screens; children
6.5; Most for both demographics is spent multi-tasking, which, (according to
University College London), has been proven a #FAIL
2. “Silver Swipers” (55-75) are the fastest growing UK adopters of smartphones
3. The average UK user checks their smartphone 150 times per day; 1/3 admit
they regularly use their devices while with friends, watching television, eating,
and while working or with their romantic partner
4. 25% of UK adults admit sending text or instant messages to friends or family
while in the same room
5. 66% of UK adults say they “hate” how much time they spend on their phone;
27% of children say their parents have “double standards” about technology
6. 1 in 3 UK adults check their messages in the middle of the night, and admit
their overuse is causing rows with their partners
7. 10% of UK smartphone owners admit reaching for their phone as soon as they
wake; 1/3 within 5 minutes; 75% say it’s the last thing they do before sleep
SOME SUPER FUN FACTS!!!
7. ◊ UK socialmediausers:39M;2018estimate:42M;25%ofUK usersvisitthemmorethan10 timesa day
◊ 26%ofUK usersadmitto being“almostconstantly”ontheInternetin 2018;comparedto 21%in2015
◊ 34%ofpeoplehavecheckedFacebookinthe pastten minutes; Scientistshavefounda linkbetweenheavy
Facebookuseanddepressivesymptoms,includinglowself-esteem
◊ 50%of peopleprefertocommunicatedigitallyratherthanF2F;higherforadolescents,teens,& youngadults;
◊ 50%of UK smartphoneusersadmitto usingtheirphonewhilewalking;4.5millionswhilecrossingtheroad
◊ 1/3of peoplewouldrathercleantheirtoiletsthantheirInbox;thesameamountadmitto “hording”emails
◊ 33%ofpeopleadmitto “hiding”fromfriends/familytochecksocialmedia
◊ ResearchbyNottinghamTrentUniversityfoundthatonethirdofthe smartphonenotificationswe receive
worsenourmood
◊ Teenswhouseelectronicdevicesfor3 hoursa dayorlongerare35%moreproneto suicidalideationthan
thosewhocomeinunder3;Teensuicideratesrosebetween2010& 2016,aftera 2 decadedecline
◊ Only1 in 10UK toddlersof theso-called“iPadGeneration”arelabeledas “healthy”by paediatricians
◊ Researchat the2017PaediatricAcademicSocietiesMeetingclaimedeveryadditional30minutesof hand-
heldscreentimeis linkedtoa 49%increasedriskofexpressivespeechdelayinchildrenunder2 yearsof age
.
Sources: BBC
Federal Centers For Disease Control
Itstimetologoff.com
Pew Research Center
Twenge; 2017
DIDYOU ALSOKNOW…
8.
9. And Furthermore…
A correlation exists between excessive Internet use, ADHD, depression, social
phobia, & hostility, with a pattern reminiscent of correlates with alcohol & drug
addiction
Excessive, long-term exposure to electronic environments is reconfiguring young
people's neural networks and possibly diminishing their ability to develop empathy,
interpersonal relationships, and nonverbal communication skills
70% of those struggling with Device Management also struggle with (or have a
history of) other addictions & emotional dysregulation such as depression, mood
disorders, social disorders, anxiety disorders, relationship problems, & sexuality-
based disorders
Technology, device, and Internet use, like alcohol and other drugs, are reinforcing,
stimulating, and rewarding-which potentially only increases the desire to “use”
12. AND THEY KNEW!!!
Facebook Founding President Sean Parker admitted that they KNEW
from the beginning they were creating something addictive that exploited
“a vulnerability in human psychology.” Their objective was: “How do we
consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?”
#BravoBrah
“Slot Machine” model; Link a user’s action-like pulling a lever (#swipe)
-with a variable reward, and your “player” is HOOKED!
Ellipses (in texting/PM/IM/etc.) keep you engaged, and “on edge” for a reply.
You stay in the “game” when you were going to walk away
Social Validation loop (“Like” button, etc.); gives a little dopamine “hit”…
or not. Also influences our GABA to glutamate-glutamine ratio
Autoplay videos just keep going… and going… and so do we.
Even when we had PROMISED ourselves this was the
VERY LAST ONE!
19. SMARTPHONES
According to a 2016 study, we swipe them
an average of 2,617 times a day,
set them beside our plates at the table,
use them in the bathroom,
and even while…
(What? ! Who DOES that?! That’s NASTY!)
Arguably the mostpopular “drug of choice”today
Sources: Time Magazine
Huffington Post
20. UNINTENDED (POTENTIALLY)
NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS OF SMARTPHONES
DISRUPTED / NON-RESTORATIVE SLEEP
ATTENTION SPAN ISSUES
ISOLATION
ANXIETY & DEPRESSION
STRESS
34. CYBERBULLYING / CYBERAGGRESSION
DEFINITION: “Behavior aimed at harming another person using
electronic communications, & perceived by the target as aversive”
10%-40% of adolescents reported having been the victims of cyberbullying
23% of youth reported being the victim of ANY type of bullying (physical,
verbal, emotional, and/or cyberbullying)
32.7% of youth reported that the cyberbullying came from someone
theyTHOUGHT was their friend; 27.7% said it was from someone in their
school
Sources: Kowlaski et al, 2014
Schoffstall & Cohen, 2011
Waasdorp and Bradshaw 2015
35. Being a victim of cyberbullying is routinely associated with
negative outcomes, such as…
Embarrassment Worry Fear Depression
Loneliness Betrayal
Anger
The severity of both “offline” & online bullying events
has been shown to predict future psychopathology including:
Suicidal ideation (cyberbullying relates more strongly
than traditional bullying)
Self-harm
Already marginalized adolescents, teens, & young adults report
more frequent online attacks (Finn, 2004) than other populations
M
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36. CYBERVICTIMS ARE LIKELY TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT
MENTAL HEALTH & SOCIAL PROBLEMS
and also that…
CYBERAGGRESSION HURTS DIFFERENTLY & MORE DEEPLY
THAN FACE-TO-FACE BULLYING
FOR MORE INFORMATION, EDUCATION,
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES, & HELP,VISIT:
www.Cyberbully411.com
EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT…
(I personally believe it is because whether true or not, the assumption is
that “everyone” sees it online, as opposed to F2F bullying which is usually
more contained)
37.
38. SOCIAL MEDIA RULES!
(Um… just to clarify, I mean the actual “RULES” of social media,
not that it ACTUALLY “rules.” Then again…)
45. 2018: Wanna be “Liked?”
No worries-there’s an app for that!
46.
47.
48.
49.
50. AGAIN…
Do you contemplate the affect / effect your posts
might have before posting them?
Do you edit your posts?
What is your REAL motive / goal / need
for posting, “LIKE”-ing, and/or “Friend”-ing,
…or NOT?
51. Umm… apparently from the UK, where, (although this particular
Facebooker is, in fact, American), this WOULD be the correct spelling of…
LICENSE!!!
58. Is this post kind?
Was this post edited?
What am I trying to achieve with this post?
What are my real (like #4REAL real!) goals of
posting this?
Could this post possibly offend anyone?
How prepared am I for any backlash associated
with this post?
What could be the consequences of a poor post on
my life? Career? Family? Relationships? Respect?
59. And now, please set your smartphones to “Kardashian” mode, as we enter the
terrifying new world of…
60. MILLENNIALS / iGENS
(a.k.a. The First Digital Natives)
Millennial were born between1982-2004; iGens 2004-2017
Just became our largest living generation
Overexposed & Underdeveloped
1/3 in UK admit they do not have a good balance between screen time & other activities
Self-esteem gauged by "Likes" (or lack thereof), number of "followers“; Comparisons to
other as seen through postings on social media
They don't understand privacy, rather they CRAVE exposure
Admit to not liking to talk to people; Voicemails are often full (they do this ON PURPOSE)
25% of UK under threes & 37% of 3-5-year-olds have their own media device
Many UK parents find it easier to get their children to do homework, get to bed, or have
a bath then turn off their phones, laptops, and TVs
A University of Sheffield study highlights that spending an hour a day on social media
reduces the probability of a child being happy with their life by 14%
61. AND THEY WONDER WHY
WE DON’T TRUST THEM…
#SUPERSHADY
#SketchyMcSketchster
64. BUT DIGITAL NATIVES BE LIKE…
(…And they usually DON’T be “likin’” it at all!)
65.
66. Adolescents in the U.K. send an AVERAGE of 60 (& upwards of 100) text
messages per day
Digital Natives (& even A LOT of Digital Immigrants!) prefer to communicate
via texting than ANY other mode of communication, including F2F interaction
Often helpful and appropriate for sharing basic information/answering
questions, but more often the “lazy” and “selfish” version of a phone call, but
we feel the pressured need to immediately check it, & also to instantly reply.
Or wait. Depending upon the “sender” & our intent/goals regarding them
Self-esteem, value, & relationship determined by response time
Sends a dopamine “squirt” to the brain pleasure receptors (someone is
THINKING about me… #AWESOME)
Ambiguity of non-verbal communication can cause misunderstanding,
significant stress, anxiety, and/or relational fissures/problems
TEXTING…
67. AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE ARE…
THE GAMERS!
Single Player games
MMORPG's: Massively multi-player online role playing games (began with
Dungeons & Dragons; now it’s all about WOW, COD, LOL, etc.)
MUD's: Multi-use domain games; self-constructed
Gamers can create a completely self-constructed persona & test/play out
identities and roles they are unable to manifest in real life.
Game designers PURPOSELY install rewards systems & other attractions
while prolong intended playing time & can increase emotional activation
Like a drug addict on a bad run, a gaming addict often will neglect personal
health, hygiene, any/all responsibilities, sleeping, eating, work, school, & even
their own children when lost in a gaming “blackout.”
The UK is Europe’s 2nd largest video game market and 5th largest in the world
68. COMMON SENSE STRATEGIES TO AVOID PROBLEMS
1. Keepit outofthe bedroom
2. Emphasizeandexpectotherformsofplayforyourchild
3. Beselective in approvedgamechoices
4. Setlimits;Offera “10minute warning”
5. Use avisible timer
6. Have anotherfun“transition”activityin place
7. Ownthe technology
8. Establishaspecific routine/timescheduleforvideo gameplay
9. Establish& beCONSISTENTwith reasonable-userules& strategies
10. Go on afamily“GamePlayDiet”
69. CYBERPORNOGRAPHY
Potential negative effects include:
• Decreased sensitivity towards women
• Distorted & unhealthy views about sexuality
• Increased risk of developing a negative body image
• Increased risk of developing sexually compulsive behaviors
• Increased risk for sexual addiction and/or need for progressive stimulation
• Loss of intimacy for couples
• Sexual dysfunction when in a “face-to-face” sexual or intimate situation
• Extremely premature exposure to sexuality
72. WHAT TYPE OF POSTS POTENTIALLY
HARM YOUR “BRAND?”
√ Political / Religious / Opinionated rants
√ Complaints
√ Controversy / “Over-sharing”
√ Grammar / Spelling errors
√ Arguing on social media threads / Bullying
√ Too “cool” for rules
√ Attention-seeking
√ Anything that does not fully support the mission of your:
• program / practice
• affiliated organizations
• community
• family
73. Create a simple set of rules to limit the negative
(and amplify the positive) impacts of how to use your device(s):
1. Stop checking your phone in your car (and certainly not while driving!)
2. Stop checking your device during TV commercials
3. Keep your phone across the room (or in a different room/space) when not using it
4. Turn off ALL notifications; Unsubscribe from, block, & delete useless & addictive apps
5. “Opt out” of email updates. They can wait. Really, they can.
6. Chose a clear, realistic, & healthy end point for each random "surfing" session; set timers
7. Stop checking your phone while in line. Talk to the folks on either side of you, or the poor
employee working the register, instead. See what happens and how much better you feel
8. Create a framework for your day with end buffers. For example, don't make your phone
the first thing you reach for in the morning and the last thing at night. Remember when
that connection used to be with the person you loved or your close friends?
9. Put your phone away after posting something on social media. Don't stress about how
many "likes" in what amount of time, it received. Or is that why you posted it?
10. Stop repeating the cycle of checking things. Check your email, social media, banking,
whatever platforms once and then put the device away
11. Do not leave your phone by your bed at night
12. When with others, put the phone away and TURN IT OFF
13. Do not put your phone on any table while eating, meeting, greeting
14. Recognize that it is a work in progress
15. Be the change you want to see in the world
74. INSTEAD OF QUANTITY, FOCUS ON…
CONTEXT
(where, when, & how digital media are being accessed)
CONTENT
(what is being watched/used)
CONNECTIONS
(whether & how relationships are being
harvested, facilitated, enhanced, or impeded)
The“GOAL”isto createyourDELIBERATE,
AUTHENTIC,andPOSITIVE “DigitalDiary”
79. Sample Sources & Resources
.
BBC, bbc.com
Cash, H., Rae, C., Steel, A., Winkler, A., National Institutes of Health, Internet Addiction: A Brief Summary of
Research and Practice, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480687/
It’s Time To Log Off; www.itstimetologoff.com/digital-detox-facts
Konnikova, M., http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/internet-addiction-real-thing, 2014
Marsh, J., Plowman, L., Yamada-Rice, D., Bishop, J.C., Lahmar, J., Scott, F., Davenport, A., Davis, S., French, K.,
Piras, M., Thornhill, S., Robinson, P. and Winter, P. (2015), Exploring Play and Creativity in Pre-Schoolers’ Use
of Apps: Final Project Report. Accessed at: www.techandplay.org.
Mosher, D., www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-addictive-internet-use-restructure-brain/
Nuccitelli, M., 2013 Internet abuse & internet dependence definitions, iPredator Inc., 2013, www.ipredator.co
Raziwell, Ni., Disconnected: Technology Addiction & the Search for Authenticity in Virtual Life
Sieberg, D., The digital diet: The 4-step plan to break your tech addiction and regain balance in your life, Three
Rivers Press, NY, 2011
Vickers, H.; Internet is now more popular than TV and 25% of toddlers have their own media device, new
research finds, https://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/fears-of-tech-addiction-in-kids-living-digital-childhood, 2017
Walton, A., www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2012/10/02/the-new-mental-health-disorder-internet-addiction/
Young, K., www.netaddiction.com
& LOTS & LOTS OF OTHER JOURNAL ARTICLES, BOOKS, RESEARCH, AND (LEGIT!) WEB-BASED SOURCES
WHICH I WOULD BE GLAD TO SHARE WITH ANYONE WHO ASKS!!!
