What the Tech?! Is Tech Addiction in Teens Real?

Yes, Tech Addiction is very real and it is affecting teens at an increasingly alarming rate. If you’re the parent of a teen, you know how important digital technology is and the role that it plays in the life of today’s teenagers. You’ll often find them clicking, posting, or swiping, which could — understandably — make you worry that your teen has a technology addiction.

Screen Time Makes us More Depressed than Self-Loathing

Tech addiction skyrocketed during the COVID pandemic due to an increase in isolation and sedentary activity. There is significant comorbidity between screentime and mental health. Teens that are on screens for 5 or more hours per day are 70% more likely to have depression, suicidal thoughts and intention to act on these thoughts.

Reliance on Phones Leads to Memory Loss

All the information that we outsource to our phones causes us to not use our own hippocampus or memory center-if we don’t use it, we lose it! Most people now a days cannot remember 10 phone numbers by heart. We retain information 20% better when reading from paper rather than viewing off a screen as our eyes are not meant to read off of screens.

Phones Stunt Creativity

Children on screens lose the ability to know how to create or engage in make believe play. Screens have taken away a child’s ability to engage in imagination because so much is provided to them, that they forget how to create on their own.

Phones Make us Dumber!

Literally, cognitive scores of kids and teens decreased the closer a phone was in proximity to them and this was when the phone was off, but out of the classroom, in the classroom at a distance, or by them on their desk. A 2019 JAMA study revealed that pre-school kids that had increased screen time had lower levels of brain development. Banning cellphones in schools has increased kids’ test scores by 6%.

Tech is Habit Forming and Addictive

Tech is about as addictive as opioids like heroin for the brain as it works on the same dopamine receptors. A child’s brain playing a video game looks like a child who is on drugs. Over 200 peer reviewed research studies have confirmed that tech addition mirrors drug addiction in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain-the center that controls judgment, planning, and problem solving. Children are not capable of handling this level of stimulation. Removing kids off of video games when they are getting a dopamine high can lead to aggression.

Tech Interferes with our Sleep

Screen time is disruptive for sleep. Experts recommend stopping electronics 3 hours before bed.

Phones Stunt our Social Skills: Kids and teens who use phones excessively often struggle to make eye contact and engage in social connectedness and reciprocity.

Screen Time Changes the Physiology of the Brain

the architecture of the mind, itself, is changed by screentime. Kids with video addiction can look like they have ADHD, can be moody, and aggressive.

Tech Addiction, Digital Health, in Children, Adolescents, Young Adults Nicholas Kardaras, PhD, LCSW-R

So, is your teen daughter or son’s technology use a minor issue or a sign of a digital addiction? 

Signs of Technology Addiction in Teens

Ask yourself these questions: 

• Does your child deny there’s a problem? 

• Does being without a phone or Wi-Fi cause irritability or panic? 

• Does your teen sleep less now or has their weight fluctuated? 

• Have your daughter or son’s grades or friendships suffered? 

All of these are signs that the use of technology may be getting out of control

5 Steps to Take to Treat Technology Addiction

Here are 5 tips to help your teen break their tech addiction:

1. Get Outside in Nature

Building some technology-free diversions into the day can help. Nature has a calming effect on the brain and it regulates mood and behavior.

2. Play a Sport or Join an Activity

Encourage them to join a sport! Sports are so great because they are a natural dopamine-releasing activity! If yours is not a sports kid, help them to join a club, volunteer at an animal shelter or local food bank, or create art or work with pottery. Anything that occupies their time in a constructive way and uses no technology is acceptable. If it increases their level of creativity or sense of accomplishment, that is an extra bonus!

3. Get Real and Track their Use

One of the first signs that technology is a problem is denying it is one. So, take a brutally honest inventory of your teen’s technology habits. If they’re a gamer, for instance, you can set a timer and keep a journal of how often and how long your teenager plays.

Tracking phone usage is easy; for Androids and iPhones, use the Screen Time app, included with the phone. Screen Time gives a detailed view of the time spent on the device, including what apps and websites were used and how many times the device was picked up.

There are other phone apps, extensions, and tools that can help your teen get realistic about their technology use. Explore your options and remember: The first step for addressing tech addiction is having the information needed to manage it.

4. Make a Plan to Switch Routine Habits

Don’t have your teen rely on their willpower alone. You’ll be going against the high-tech giants and the world’s smartest minds, all fighting for your daughter or son’s attention. Instead, make a plan.

Create a routine that adds nontechnology activities into their schedule. For example, when your teen wakes up, have them get a glass of water, open their windows, stretch, and look at the sun and sky (corny as it sounds), all before checking their phone. When they come home from school or work, have them complete tasks such as taking the dog out and making a snack. The goal is to have them do activities that don’t involve technology before logging into their gaming, social media, or other digital accounts.

5. Start With Small Goals for Change

Once your teen is aware of their average daily technology use, they can start thinking about how to reduce it. Plan to start small, such as having them take a break during mealtimes or reducing their tech use by one hour per week.

You can set limits through the Screen Time app or whatever app/tool you choose. You can also set alarms and notifications to remind them when to step away from tech and to keep them honest.

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Recognize When to Seek Help

Sometimes even with the best intentions, plans, and tools, digital addiction is too much of a challenge to conquer alone. If this is the case, maybe it’s time to talk to a professional.

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