As a doctor, I believe that while there is a true clinical internet/video game addiction, we must be careful about using the term addiction loosely. I explain here in this recent Washington Post article:
"For serious cases, she agrees that Internet addiction is a real problem. But for the kid who just won’t put her phone down during dinner? Calling her an addict may do more harm than good.
“We should be careful to stop using the word ‘addiction’ so kids can have an internal sense of control,” she said. “They have to know that the device does not control them.”
A new report from Common Sense Media titled “Technology Addiction: Concern, Controversy, and Finding Balance” points to the potential controversy of taking an addiction view of everyday technology use. The key is to find balance both in our perspective on technology use and our actual use of it.
The Common Sense report includes results of a poll of 1200 teens and parents on their feelings, use and response to their mobile devices. Much of the poll’s results echo what we found from our work on SCREENAGERS, namely that both teens and parents recognize the strong pull of technology in their daily lives. In the results of the poll, one of every two teens reported they “feel” addicted to their mobile devices and 60 percent of parents “feel” their teens are addicted.
As I noted above, the parents and teens connection of the term addiction with their feelings about their device use is not grounded in the clinical definition of addiction as it pertains to Internet Gaming Disorder, or IGD. I touch on some of the specifics of IGD in SCREENAGERS.
These themes of distraction, conflict, behavior and compulsion also run throughout SCREENAGERS interviews of teens, parents and experts. Interestingly, some of the solutions to these issues come from teens themselves. One group of boys puts all devices in a pile on the center of the table whenever the get together so that they stay focused on each other instead of their phones. This self-awareness, which also comes through in the poll, speaks well to the emotional intelligence of the SCREENAGERS generation. At the same time that they feel drawn in by their devices, they are also seeking ways to disconnect from them.
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Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Register your interest in bringing our new movie to your school or community
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As a doctor, I believe that while there is a true clinical internet/video game addiction, we must be careful about using the term addiction loosely. I explain here in this recent Washington Post article:
"For serious cases, she agrees that Internet addiction is a real problem. But for the kid who just won’t put her phone down during dinner? Calling her an addict may do more harm than good.
“We should be careful to stop using the word ‘addiction’ so kids can have an internal sense of control,” she said. “They have to know that the device does not control them.”
A new report from Common Sense Media titled “Technology Addiction: Concern, Controversy, and Finding Balance” points to the potential controversy of taking an addiction view of everyday technology use. The key is to find balance both in our perspective on technology use and our actual use of it.
The Common Sense report includes results of a poll of 1200 teens and parents on their feelings, use and response to their mobile devices. Much of the poll’s results echo what we found from our work on SCREENAGERS, namely that both teens and parents recognize the strong pull of technology in their daily lives. In the results of the poll, one of every two teens reported they “feel” addicted to their mobile devices and 60 percent of parents “feel” their teens are addicted.
As I noted above, the parents and teens connection of the term addiction with their feelings about their device use is not grounded in the clinical definition of addiction as it pertains to Internet Gaming Disorder, or IGD. I touch on some of the specifics of IGD in SCREENAGERS.
These themes of distraction, conflict, behavior and compulsion also run throughout SCREENAGERS interviews of teens, parents and experts. Interestingly, some of the solutions to these issues come from teens themselves. One group of boys puts all devices in a pile on the center of the table whenever the get together so that they stay focused on each other instead of their phones. This self-awareness, which also comes through in the poll, speaks well to the emotional intelligence of the SCREENAGERS generation. At the same time that they feel drawn in by their devices, they are also seeking ways to disconnect from them.
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As a doctor, I believe that while there is a true clinical internet/video game addiction, we must be careful about using the term addiction loosely. I explain here in this recent Washington Post article:
"For serious cases, she agrees that Internet addiction is a real problem. But for the kid who just won’t put her phone down during dinner? Calling her an addict may do more harm than good.
“We should be careful to stop using the word ‘addiction’ so kids can have an internal sense of control,” she said. “They have to know that the device does not control them.”
A new report from Common Sense Media titled “Technology Addiction: Concern, Controversy, and Finding Balance” points to the potential controversy of taking an addiction view of everyday technology use. The key is to find balance both in our perspective on technology use and our actual use of it.
The Common Sense report includes results of a poll of 1200 teens and parents on their feelings, use and response to their mobile devices. Much of the poll’s results echo what we found from our work on SCREENAGERS, namely that both teens and parents recognize the strong pull of technology in their daily lives. In the results of the poll, one of every two teens reported they “feel” addicted to their mobile devices and 60 percent of parents “feel” their teens are addicted.
As I noted above, the parents and teens connection of the term addiction with their feelings about their device use is not grounded in the clinical definition of addiction as it pertains to Internet Gaming Disorder, or IGD. I touch on some of the specifics of IGD in SCREENAGERS.
These themes of distraction, conflict, behavior and compulsion also run throughout SCREENAGERS interviews of teens, parents and experts. Interestingly, some of the solutions to these issues come from teens themselves. One group of boys puts all devices in a pile on the center of the table whenever the get together so that they stay focused on each other instead of their phones. This self-awareness, which also comes through in the poll, speaks well to the emotional intelligence of the SCREENAGERS generation. At the same time that they feel drawn in by their devices, they are also seeking ways to disconnect from them.
I've been noticing the ways I can be rude, in person and on my phone. This week I share two recent examples of my own, plus why correcting myself out loud strengthens self-awareness. The talk that follows isn't about your kid. It's about you going first.
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An Oakland library has started lending out sports equipment and games alongside books, so families can borrow gear to use at nearby parks. It is a reminder that borrowing and lending between families is a simple way to fill a summer afternoon without a screen, while quietly modelling generosity and humility. We are out of practice at asking, but the person on the other end is usually glad to help.
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E-readers are convenient, but there are three reasons to lean toward paper books this summer. First, e-readers are screens, and the pull of everything else you could do on one makes it harder to stay immersed. Second, a large meta-analysis found people understand and remember slightly better on paper, especially with longer texts. Third, easy access to endless book samples makes it too tempting to jump ship rather than work through the slower parts, since reading, unlike TikTok, is about delayed gratification.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
