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On Thursday night, I attended a workshop hosted by Chartwell Elementary PAC, titled, Digitizing Ourselves to Death:  Problem Video Gaming & Social Media Misuse presented by Benjamin Wong, a Registered Clinical Counsellor focussing on addictions.

Ben began with the presentation by showing us images of toys that have won the TOADY award… (Toys Oppressive and Destructive to Young Children) such as the iPotty – a potty which has a built in attachment for an iPad!  Another was an infant vibrating baby seat with an attachment for…yes…an iPad!  The theme being that infants are being introduced to screen-time at younger and younger ages, despite the outcry and recall by Walt Disney on their Baby Einstein videos.  He also showed us a photo of a sidewalk in China, designated as a “texting pathway” with arrows for which side of the path to walk on while texting!

Ben was a big video gamer in his university years and is now a self-proclaimed, luddite – a person opposed to new technology.  He also spends many clinical hours working with families where there is Problem Video Gaming, and he has seen the destructive effects.  He compares problem video gaming to problem gambling.  Game developers design games to addict, hook and prevent termination of play.  Have you ever noticed that there is no end-point to Minecraft?

The Gaming Continuum

No Gaming            Social Gaming             Problem Video Gaming

____________________________________________

No Risk            Low          Serious      Moderate       Pathological  

(credit: BenWong)

Research Study on the Risks and Consequences of Video Game Addiction

Douglas Gentile, an Iowa State University Psychology Associate Professor and five researchers from Singapore and Hong Kong, (2011) conducted a  Study identifying risks and consequences of video game addiction and these were their findings:

Once they become addicted, pathological gamers were more likely to become depressed, have increased social phobias, and increased anxiety. And they received poorer grades in school,” Gentile said. “Therefore, it looks like pathological gaming is not simply a symptom of depression, social phobia or anxiety. In fact, those problems seem to increase as children become more addicted. In addition, when children stopped being addicted, depression, anxiety and social phobias decreased as well.

Brain Circuits that Suffer Alteration with Problem Video Gaming

• Endorphin circuit  (the feel good chemicals)
• Dopamine circuit  (the positive reward feeling chemicals)
• Impulse control circuit
• Stress response circuit

(credit:  Benjamin Wong www.mindfuldigitality.com)

The 3 Cs of Addiction

Control – There are repeated attempts to cut back or control but still have periods of loss of control

Compulsion – MUST use

Consequence – Use continues despite significant negative consequences

* Approximately 10% of all video gamers are addicts

Video Gaming vs. Substance Use

Similarities        (Ben Wong www.mindfuldigitality.com)                                                                                         

– The illusion of control

– User chasing the high

– Provides escape

– Rituals surrounding use

– Increased tolerance over time

– Continual preoccupation

– Withdrawal

– Mood altering

Differences

– Absence of physical signs in early stages of video gaming

– Experience is the substance

– Cognitive Distortions

– “Win” offers positive effects

– Video gaming is often thought of or rationalized as a positive

– Perceived competition of outwitting artificial intelligence opponent

The Problems with Using Technology to Learn

• Teaches children that learning is always supposed to be FUN!  versus the message that sometimes you have to work really hard and do things you really don’t want to do (such as take a statistics course) to reach your goal or follow your passion
• Teaches children that learning is supposed to be fun, fast, dazzling and colourful – teachers can’t possibly be as exciting as technology and so kids who have a lot of exposure to technology disengage
• Lots of money is being spent on technology in schools, but is there research to show that teaching through technology is improving our child’s learning?  Ben recommended reading:  NY Times: In the Classroom of Future – Stagnant Scores

Harvard Research Study Demonstrating Disconnect to Being Caring Community Members

In a 2014 a study conducted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, 10,00 youth were surveyed and these were the findings:

• For 80%, achievement or happiness is top priority
• For 20%, caring for others is their priority
• Youth are more likely to say “My peers value achievement and happiness over caring”
• Youth are 3x more likely to agree than disagree to the statement: “My parents are prouder if I get good grades than if I’m a caring community member”.
• 96% of parents surveyed say that they want caring kids, that moral character in children is “very important” if not essential.”
• Not what youth heard…81% of youth think happiness or achievement is their parents’ top priority

Although, this is not directly related to screen-time use, it’s important to take note of the increase in self-centredness in our society, which one could hypothesize as being connected to the fact that we are spending more time on screens, which is a very isolating experience, even though it gives one the illusion of being socially connected.  This is the main idea, in Sherry Turkle’s book, Alone Together which I have summarized in a previous blog: Screen Time – What Are the Cautions?

How To Manage the Ever Increasing Influence of Screens?

There are no perfect answers but Ben Wong made some useful suggestions:

• Screen-time is like food – we need it but in moderation and in “nutritious” forms
• Before bringing out a screen, ask oneself, “What is the specific PURPOSE?”  “Is the purpose able to be fulfilled without a digital device?”
• Time restrictions and guidelines don’t matter as much as discussing one’s family VALUES and ATTITUDES and living and modelling values and attitudes which demonstrate screen-time in moderation
• It’s always easier to add something than to take something away, therefore “flood” your child with outdoor activities and there will naturally be less time for screens  (this fits with Dr. Leonard Sax’s recommendation of purposefully plan a family holiday where there is no access to WIFI)
• Make relationships with each family member the priority over any kind of screen.  Be conscious of not falling into the trap of being “Alone Together” which Ben Wong quotes from the book as being a slow traumatizing process for our kids

I hope you have a wonderful weekend being consciously connected to your family,

Warmly,