6 Ways electronic screen time makes kids angry, depressed
and unmotivated.
By: Victoria L. Dunckley M.D.
By: Victoria L. Dunckley M.D.
Children
or teens who are “revved up” and prone to rages or—alternatively—who are
depressed and apathetic have become disturbingly commonplace. Chronically
irritable children are often in a state of abnormally high arousal, and may
seem “wired and tired.” That is, they’re agitated but exhausted. Because chronically high
arousal levels impactmemory and the ability to relate,
these kids are also likely to struggle academically and socially.
At
some point, a child with these symptoms may be given a mental-health diagnosis such as major depression, bipolar disorder, or ADHD, and offered corresponding
treatments, including therapy and medication. But often these treatments don’t work very well, and the
downward spiral continues.
What’s
happening?
Both parents and clinicians may be
“barking up the wrong tree.” That is, they’re trying to treat what looks like a textbook case of mental disorder,
but failing to rule out and address the most common environmental cause of such
symptoms—everyday use of electronics. Time and again, I’ve realized that
regardless of whether there exists any “true” underlying diagnoses,
successfully treating a child with mood dysregulation today requires
methodically eliminating all electronics use for several weeks—an “electronics fast”—to allow the nervous system
to “reset.”
If
done correctly, this intervention can produce deeper sleep, a brighter and more even mood, better focus and organization,
and an increase in physical activity. The ability to tolerate stress improves, so meltdowns
diminish in both frequency and severity. The child begins to enjoy the things
they used to, is more drawn to nature, and imaginary or creative play returns.
In teens and young adults, an increase in self-directed behavior is
observed—the exact opposite of apathy and hopelessness.
It’s
a beautiful thing.
At
the same time, the electronic fast reduces or eliminates the need for medication
while rendering other treatments more effective. Improved sleep, more exercise,
and more face-to-face contact with others compound the benefits—an upward spiral! After the fast, once the brain is reset, the parent can
carefully determine how much if any electronics use the child can tolerate
without symptoms returning.
Restricting
electronics may not solve everything, but it’s often the missing link in
treatment when kids are stuck.
But
why is the electronic fast intervention so effective? Because it reverses much of the physiological dysfunction produced
by daily screen time.
Children’s
brains are much more sensitive to electronics use than most of us realize. In
fact, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take much electronic stimulation
to throw a sensitive and still-developing brain off track. Also, many parents
mistakenly believe thatinteractive screen-time—Internet or social media
use, texting, emailing, and gaming—isn’t harmful, especially compared to
passive screen time like watching TV. In fact, interactive screen time is more
likely to cause
sleep, mood, and cognitive issues, because it’s more
likely to cause hyperarousal and compulsive use.
Here’s
a look at six physiological mechanisms that explain electronics’ tendency to
produce mood disturbance:
Because
light from screen devices mimics daytime, it suppresses melatonin, a sleep
signal released by darkness. Just minutes of screen stimulation can delay
melatonin release by several hours and desynchronize the body clock. Once the body clock is disrupted, all sorts of other unhealthy
reactions occur, such as hormone imbalance and brain inflammation. Plus, high
arousal doesn’t permit deep sleep, and deep sleep is how we heal.
Many
children are “hooked” on electronics, and in fact gaming releases so muchdopamine—the “feel-good” chemical—that on a brain scan it looks the same
as cocaineuse.
But when reward pathways are overused, they become less sensitive, and more and
more stimulation is needed to experience pleasure. Meanwhile, dopamine is also
critical for focus and motivation, so needless to say, even small changes in dopamine sensitivity
can wreak havoc on how well a child feels and functions.
3. Screen time produces “light-at-night.”
Light-at-night from
electronics has been linked to depression and even suicide risk in numerous
studies. In fact, animal studies show that exposure to screen-based light before or during sleep
causes depression, even when the animal isn’t looking at the screen. Sometimes
parents are reluctant to restrict electronics use in a child’s bedroom because
they worry the child will enter a state of despair—but in fact removing
light-at-night is protective.
Both
acute stress (fight-or-flight) and chronic stress produce changes in brain
chemistry and hormones that can increase
irritability. Indeed, cortisol, the chronic stress hormone, seems to be both a
cause and an effect of depression—creating a vicious cycle. Additionally, both
hyperarousal and addiction pathways suppress the
brain’s frontal lobe, the area where mood regulation actually takes place.
Experts
say that what’s
often behind explosive and aggressive behavior is poor
focus.When attention suffers, so
does the ability to process one’s internal and externalenvironment, so little demands become big ones. By depleting mental energy
with high visual and cognitive input, screen time contributes to low reserves.
One way to temporarily “boost” depleted reserves is to become angry, so
meltdowns actually become a coping mechanism.
6. Screen-time reduces physical activity levels and exposure to
“green time.”
Research
shows that time outdoors, especially interacting with nature, canrestore
attention, lower stress, and reduce aggression. Thus, time spent with electronics reduces exposure to natural mood
enhancers.
In
today’s world, it may seem crazy to restrict electronics so drastically. But
when kids are struggling, we’re not doing them any favors by leaving
electronics in place and hoping they can wind down by using electronics in
"moderation." It just doesn't work. In contrast, by allowing the
nervous system to return to a more natural state with a strict fast, we can take
the first step in helping a child become calmer, stronger, and happier***original post: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mental-wealth/201508/screentime-is-making-kids-moody-crazy-and-lazy
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