Digital dementia and anxiety: psychologist - about the risks of constant use of gadgets

— Nowadays, gadgets are constantly used not only by adults, but also by children.

What could be the consequences?

— If you abuse the time of using gadgets, sleep disturbances, problems with the spine, motor skills, and sensory development may occur.

Domestic scientists recommend that parents control how preschoolers use gadgets, namely, ensure that the time of use of the gadget does not exceed the time of communication and games, and does not interfere with physical activity, for example, walks, outdoor games.

In addition, it is not recommended to use gadgets while eating.

It is also important to check what the child is viewing on the Internet (content), and also monitor the sound volume in the headphones.

— How does spending a long time on gadgets affect the psyche of a teenager and an adult?

What are the differences?

— If an adult can filter incoming information and, in general, better control their behavior related to the use of smartphones and other gadgets, then teenagers do not yet know how to do this well enough.

They find it difficult to discard unnecessary or inaccurate information.

An adult’s self-image and self-esteem are more stable, while in a teenager they are still actively being formed and the information he encounters on social networks can influence his development.

Thus, the content of some groups can affect the child’s emotional state due to an insufficient level of development of critical thinking.

Teenagers are more at risk than adults.

Educators note difficulties in perceiving information in children who use gadgets excessively: the child gets used to following bright and moving objects (games, videos, emoticons) and receiving information in small parts (posts on social networks, news, usually short), as a result It is then difficult for him to maintain attention on static and dim material, for example, on long texts.

Virtual communication is also considered a risk factor.

On the one hand, if a child does not have good relationships in class, he can find communication with other children on the Internet.

On the other hand, it is not always safe.

On the third hand, virtual communication, if it prevails over live communication, can inhibit the development of communication skills.

When corresponding, there is time to think, formulate an answer, and there are certain rules of communication.

In live communication, a faster response may be required; the norms and rules of communication differ from virtual ones.

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— Do gadgets affect a child’s development?

— It is important what exactly the child does with the help of the gadget.

Someone watches TV series, someone plays games, communicates on social networks, scrolls through the feed.

Both children and adults satisfy different needs.

It is important for parents to remember that the use of gadgets is normal if they do not interfere with the child’s normal life: he goes to school, studies, communicates with peers in reality, goes for walks, has a hobby, and, if necessary, can put the gadget aside and get down to business.

If a child is on the phone so much that it interferes with his studies, making friends and communicating, if his behavior becomes strange, you should seek help from a psychologist.

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How to establish contact with such a child?

— It’s best to discuss with him what he does on the Internet.

Sincerely and kindly ask what he plays, what he watches, what he reads.

Don't blame or scold if you don't like it, otherwise the teenager will simply begin to hide it better.

Talk openly about your concerns and discuss internet safety rules.

You can not only ask questions, but also try to play a game with your child or watch what he is watching.

The main thing is to do all this kindly. 

— What behavior should you pay attention to?

When to sound the alarm?

— Scientists identify markers in a teenager’s behavior that may indicate an unfavorable emotional state: behavior suddenly changes for the better or worse, outbursts of aggression, the child draws strange pictures, takes dangerous selfies, changes in daily routine (for example, starts getting up at dawn), visiting groups on social networks becomes a ritual that cannot be missed.

In this case, you need to talk gently and carefully with the teenager, do not scold him, do not push him away, be sure to contact a psychologist, the class teacher, if the child has a good relationship with him.

— Does it make sense to give up a smartphone in favor of a push-button phone? Will this help reduce anxiety and addiction?

— Scientists have proven that frequent use of gadgets causes anxiety.

When they are used excessively, a person constantly receives new information, which leads to tension.

Some people constantly check the news and systematically receive information throughout the day that can cause anxiety.

In addition, there are work chats in which information is exchanged not only during working hours.

All this leads to the fact that it is difficult for a person to relax; he is in constant tension.

A smartphone is also used for leisure – for reading, watching movies, spending time on social networks.

Switching to a push-button smartphone, of course, will interfere with the constant flow of information.

On the other hand, we are accustomed to using certain functions of a smartphone and rely heavily on it.

We use a navigator, a camera, have access to email, a calculator, a calendar and many other functions.

Using applications on a smartphone is more convenient than on a feature phone.

Therefore, for someone, switching to a push-button smartphone can, on the contrary, cause great anxiety.

The development of technology and society is moving forward, and it would not be entirely correct to refuse achievements and modern developments.

But you need to maintain a balance in the use of gadgets, making sure that they do not replace any other types of activity.

— Why do people often unknowingly sit on their phones unnecessarily?

- There can be many reasons.

Firstly, this is the desire to relax and put off some things, work or household, that you really don’t want to do at all.

Not everyone can relax while cleaning their apartment or cooking.

Therefore, there is a desire to escape from not very pleasant things.

As a result, a person picks up the phone “for five minutes” and disappears for an hour.

Plus, it’s light dopamine, which allows you to get pleasant emotions and pleasure.

Sometimes a person has a desire to escape not from business, but from unpleasant emotions.

In a stressful environment, when it’s hard, it’s absolutely natural to want to stop these unpleasant feelings.

Using the phone, a person is distracted from a problematic or stressful situation and temporarily stops feeling negative emotions and thinking about unpleasant topics.

- How to deal with this condition?

- In this case, you need to create a more acceptable environment for yourself.

For example, break big tasks into smaller ones and do them gradually and step by step, create a schedule for yourself (or rearrange it), set aside a small amount of time to complete something, use a timer (for example, clean for 15 minutes a day, not three hours once a week), delegate some tasks, if possible, refuse some tasks or reschedule them.

If possible, try to change a difficult situation.

Secondly, this is the lack of a hobby or some activity that could be done if you want to relax.

In this case, it is useful to ask yourself: what can I do instead of hanging on my phone?

Do you have a hobby?

If not, it would be a good option to try different activities and find one.

— How many hours before bedtime is it better to give up gadgets?

— Experts recommend putting away gadgets about an hour or half an hour before falling asleep.

This is especially true when it comes to the use of social networks.

In one of the studies, it was found that those who often visit social networks, look at the pages of others, feel that their friends on social networks have a more interesting, rich life, and against this background they begin to feel dissatisfied with themselves, their lives, and their emotional background decreases .

If a person is prone to frequent anxiety, is constantly nervous, and is stressed, then in the evening it is better to choose more calming content, listen to calmer music, choose less aggressive or scary films.

The content needs to be liked and evoke positive emotions, not tension.

— What is digital dementia?

Who is she threatening?

— Digital dementia is a tendency toward developmental delay, low concentration, low learning ability, along with an increase in passivity, anxiety and aggression, and a tendency toward low mood or depression.

Experts attribute this to the peculiarities of brain function.

Often, children who are constantly on gadgets deal with the same type of information and perform the same type of actions.

While real life tasks that arise in the process of learning, communication, and active work are non-standard, they cannot be constantly solved in the same way.

That is, if you do not make efforts to solve various problems, development will slow down.

In addition, due to constant reliance on the smartphone, memory decreases.

After all, there is no longer any need to memorize and retain information in memory if it can be obtained at any time.

Difficulties may also arise with spatial orientation due to constant reliance on maps and navigators.

Digital dementia can be especially pronounced in children and adolescents whose brains are in the process of maturation.

In conclusion, I would like to note once again that gadgets and technologies are firmly integrated into our lives and in the modern world it is difficult to do without them.

Using gadgets has both positive and negative sides.

It all depends on how exactly a person uses the gadget.

Therefore, their use should not be idealized or demonized.

It is important to maintain a balance and ensure that the use of gadgets helps and does not interfere with life.