Technology Addiction

Video games and social media are intentionally designed to capture and maintain your attention, often utilizing psychological strategies to foster addiction. In fact, some technology companies have employed psychologists specifically to teach them the mechanics of addiction, then integrating those elements into their games and platforms. Dr. Peter Whybrow, a renowned neuroscientist at UCLA, has described electronic screens and video games as “electronic cocaine,” highlighting their powerful impact on the brain. Remember, cocaine was first thought of by doctors, and therefore the public, as a safe panacea for all your ailments. It only took about 50 years to realize how dangerous it is. Let’s not let that much time go by with screen overuse.

“It takes a long time for a society to adjust to major technological advances, creating the rituals and routines and restrictions that maximize its benefits and minimize its dangers. We haven't even caught up with ourselves with regard to movies and television, never mind the cell phone, the computer, Google, and social networking. Given the damage already done, we don't have a long time to sort it out.” ¹ Wow, what a statement! I could not have said it better.

“(brain) Imaging studies show that video gaming triggers the release of dopamine at levels comparable to an intravenous injection of amphetamine, a powerful and addictive psychostimulant. Other imaging studies show that video gaming mirrors the effects of drugs and alcohol as it stimulates the brain's pleasure pathway.” ² Even if it were legal, the large majority of parents would never give their children even small amounts of drugs or alcohol, because they know young brains give in to pleasurable things pretty automatically. (Freed, 2015, page 95) Just think how many children sneak sweets they are not supposed to have! Sneaking drugs or alcohol could lead to addiction, which is one of the reasons most parents would never give those substances to their children. Yet many do little or nothing to keep their children mostly or totally away from screens.

Addictive processes occur in specific parts of the brain and are driven by various neurotransmitters that are forced out of balance by the addictive substance/behavior. It has been shown that different parts of the brain perform different and specific functions. I will endeavor to teach you the basics of brain science you and your children need to know to make healthy choices regarding screen time.

One neurotransmitter targeted by video games and social media is dopamine, which is responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward. When we experience something rewarding, dopamine is released, creating a sensation of enjoyment. Teenagers, however, experience more pronounced dopamine spikes compared to adults, making them particularly vulnerable to addiction. Unlike a quick spike and fall associated with many other activities, the dopamine rise triggered by technology remains elevated, only subsiding when the activity stops. (Dunckley, 2015, page 57)

There is also concern about screen time causing dopamine depletion. If that does indeed happen, the effects can include mood swings, irritability, anxiety, impaired concentration, memory problems, and low motivation.

A concerning societal trend is the noticeable lack of motivation among many young people today. For example, the decreasing interest in learning to drive—a milestone once eagerly anticipated—may be linked to dopamine depletion. “Areas of the brain impacted by video gaming include the cingulate gyrus (an area involved in motivation) and the prefrontal cortex (the key area affecting insight, self-control, and decision making). This helps explain why kids can become fixated on digital devices, cease to care about the things that once mattered to them most, and yet have no insight regarding their problem.” ³

Dr. Dunckley, an integrative psychiatrist, says, “Since dopamine is needed to execute tasks, when it's suddenly low, every task becomes overwhelming, setting the stage for a meltdown.” 4 If every task is overwhelming, then motivation will obviously dwindle, decreasing the desire to take on new endeavors such as driving or even to participate in once-enjoyed activities if they require much effort. Virtual interactions via social media and gaming have made it easier for teens to connect without leaving their homes, reducing the perceived need for in-person socialization. They may think, “Why do I need to drive when I can visit with my friends online?” If teens use the excuse of not having a driver's license to not get a job or do something else constructive so they can sit home on screens, that is not a good thing.

We are using social media (and now video games that connect to online chats) to help us feel close to people, but more and more evidence is coming out that digital intimacy is not true intimacy. “The incompleteness of the intimacy is what drives the obsessive pursuit. This relentless urgency is illustrated by the fact that nearly half of Facebook's 18 to 34-year-old users log on minutes after waking up, most even before getting up. It is not surprising, then, to find that digital intimacy can be more addictive than cigarettes or alcohol.” 5

The human brain is not fully developed until around age 26-28. That lets us know that environment plays a big part in how the brain develops. What we expose our brains to matters. If the brain is overstimulated or under stimulated, certain connections will not be made. The prefrontal cortex is where ‘higher-level’ thinking skills develop, such as decision-making skills and self-control skills. The limbic system is the ‘emotional seat’ of the brain where our alarm and attachment systems are.

One of the troubling signs of digital addiction is the frequent complaint of boredom. When a child repeatedly says, “That’s boring,” it may stem from their brain becoming accustomed to the frequent and intense dopamine spikes provided by video games and social media. Activities that were once enjoyable do not provide the same spike height, leading to dissatisfaction with other forms of entertainment. This isn’t simply a matter of maturing interests—it’s a neurological response. Understanding the underlying science is very helpful in addressing the challenges of digital addiction.

In addition to dopamine, serotonin is another neurotransmitter negatively affected by screens. Serotonin is important for mood stability and a sense of well-being. It is produced partially by melatonin, and when melatonin is suppressed by too much blue light at night, serotonin production can go down. How many teens stay up too late staring at a screen, blocking the production of melatonin that will help them fall asleep? When there is less melatonin, less serotonin is produced (Dunckley, 2015, page 59).

“Mice whose reward circuits are continually electrically stimulated will die of starvation because they will not seek food. Stimulating our children's brains with digital technology will similarly divert them from what will truly nourish them. This dynamic is behind the most negative and insidious effects of the video games, pornography, and digitally mediated social connection. These activities directly titillate the attachment reward centers in our children's brains, rendering them uninterested in the kind of interaction that could lead to true fulfillment and satiation. Even the kind of self-presentation they are doing on Facebook fires these same attachment reward circuits. These attachment fixations spoil the appetite for the interactions that could truly nurture and satiate.” 6

It is so critical for you as a parent to provide the environment (by not allowing your child unfettered access to technology) that your child needs to thrive, firstly by being their primary attachment figure! You simply cannot compete with something with addictive properties. Just as an alcoholic's family cannot compete with alcohol and a drug addict's family cannot compete with drugs, a screen addict's family cannot compete with screens.

I wish you the best on your journey to reducing screen time for yourself and your family. I am certified to treat Digital Addiction, so reach out to me if you could use a Coach.

References:

1. Neufeld, Gordon. (2024). Hold On to Your Kids: why parents need to matter more than kids. Penguin Random House, LLC.

2. Freed, Richard. (2015). Wired Child: Debunking Popular Technology Myths. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Republished with subtitle: Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age.

3. Freed, Richard. (2015). Wired Child: Debunking Popular Technology Myths. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Republished with subtitle: Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age.

4. Dunckley, Victoria L. (2015). Reset Your Child’s Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and Boost Social Skills be Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time. New World Library.

5. Neufeld, Gordon. (2024). Hold On to Your Kids: why parents need to matter more than kids. Penguin Random House, LLC.

6. Neufeld, Gordon. (2024). Hold On to Your Kids: why parents need to matter more than kids. Penguin Random House, LLC.