Courtney Jo Young
Professor Ris
ENGL 2089
30 October 2018
The Effects of Technology on Adolescent’s Mental Health
Mental health has been a headline topic in the recent years along with the growing popularity of technology, and oftentimes, spoken in reference to one another. Adolescents contribute to the growing population of technology more than ever and the discussion on if the increase in diagnoses of mental health issues in adolescents is attributed to the growing consumption of technology has caused mental health researchers to dive deep into research. Various conclusive research reports have determined that the culprit for the rising mental health issue amongst adolescents is technology, where others stand confident that technology may be the answer in improving mental health issues amongst adolescents. This research paper will define whether the digital age of technology consumption must be transformed due to its effects on adolescent’s mental health.
Before diving into the subject, I would like to express my concerns for the rising numbers of adolescent’s who suffer from mental health in order to demonstrate to the reader the relevance of how technology may affect this issue. From the age of eight, it was easy to find where I was: sitting in front of a computer screen programming. Not a whole lot has changed up until now, aside from getting a little taller and wiser. Being so involved in technology has allowed me to recognize how the effects of technology on me as an adolescent affected my well-being in both positive and negative ways. Many mental health-related researchers have grasped the reality that technology holds both advantages and disadvantages over adolescent’s mental health and are becoming more involved in this subject matter to outline the effects both positive and negative. Growing up in a home where my mother worked as a special education teacher has granted me the opportunity to witness first-hand how technology has tremendously helped her students as well as witness how my sister, who is a second-grade teacher involves technology-related activities in her classroom to enhance children’s learning skills. Technology holds an importance over our everyday lives and its numbers of users are increasing remarkably fast. My lifelong experience with technology has granted me the opportunity to gain interest in learning how exactly technology affects adolescent’s mental health.
It is no surprise that adolescents are spending an extraordinary amount of time utilizing digital technologies. This high volume of usage has been deemed by researchers as damaging. Researchers have looked at how technology reaps many disadvantages on mental health due to its excessive consumption and high influence psychologically. According to Professor Larry Rosen of California State University took on a personal study into the matter of adolescent’s mental health. Dr. Rosen took a progressive approach in research and came to his personal diagnosis and discoveries that numerous of adolescents may be diagnosed with iDisorder. Rosen states that “An iDisorder is where you exhibit signs and symptoms of a psychiatric disorder such as OCD, narcissism, addiction or even ADHD, which are manifested through your use—or overuse—of technology.”. This can be spotted by the obsessive need to check text messages, a frantic craving to constantly update social media or an addiction to a mobile device gaming application are all indicators of an iDisorder. This new concept was composed of research reporting’s that emerged parallel to Rosen’s first-hand experiences of patients who suffered from such symptoms. Although, with such parallel reporting’s, Dr. Rosen took a reformed approach to acknowledge that these symptoms emerged solely from the overuse of technology. His analysis was discovered by considering how certain mental health triggers were brought on by certain acts, such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder being stimulated by an obsessive amount of wanting to check and utilize technology devices as well as reporting that a technology dependent addiction can lead to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dr. Rosen studies show that the frequent use of technology may be rewiring our brains and recalls in one study he cites as the “Google effect,” which is, the inability to recall information brought on by the understanding that all the answers are available at the tip of their fingertips through Google. This modernized perspective demonstrates the extent to which technology is transforming the perception of mental health issues for adolescents.
While more modernistic researchers perceive technology as the leading culprit for the rise of mental health issues amongst adolescents, it’s not uncommon for researchers with contrasting perspective to also regard the notion that amount of time spent online is associated with increased mental health problems among adolescents. Although Dr. Lori Wozney took an approach to examine how eMental healthcare technologies may help treat anxiety and depression within adolescents. Dr. Wozney et. al. conducted a search of 5 electronic databases and gray literature that evaluated eMental healthcare technology for treating and preventing anxiety or depression in adolescents as well as their parents and healthcare providers to report findings on the implementation of technology. Their report states that,
Worldwide, at least 6.5% and 2.6% of children and adolescents meet the criteria for anxiety and depressive disorders, respectively. The burden associated with these disorders rises sharply in childhood and peaks in adolescence and young adulthood (ages, 15-24 years). The long-term impact of anxiety and depression on children and adolescents includes significant interference with relationships, academic performance, school attendance, and daily functioning, making early intervention vital.
Most of the studies in this report examined the breadth of acceptability, signifying that eMental Health Technologies construct a predisposition of effective implementation. One program studied was Ricky and the Spider. Ricky and the Spider is a cognitive-behavioral therapeutic computer-based game for adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The video game was developed at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the University of Zurich in order to facilitate therapists in their treatment of children with OCD. The program Ricky and the Spider reported a vast acceptance amongst young children affected with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Therapists reported the game as beneficial for the clarification of the treatment approach for cognitive behavioral therapy and boosted child motivation for treatment. The favorable reception of eMental healthcare technology is high amongst users and is the most commonly investigated implementation outcome. While the effectiveness and success of eMental healthcare technologies varied depending on the different research and implementation practices, reviews were cohesive in their assessment that eMental healthcare technologies hold a plausible advantage in healthcare systems in treating mental health for adolescents.
One thing mental health researchers can all agree on is that technology is here to stay, and one researcher showed how moderate use of technology cultivates to be quite beneficial for children’s mental well-being. A study done by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund Office of Research offers a research report presenting that moderate use of technology is beneficial for children’s mental well-being. While this stance is given, other aspects are proposed that reveal both the progressive and damaging effects of early adolescents’ mental wellbeing, proving factuality that there is a middle ground that needs to be met to truly reap the benefits. A study reviewed in this report was conducted by a large group study of over 13,000 children aged five that revealed the use of recreational screen time for more than 2 hours a day was associated with a small increase in emotional and behavioral problems in girls only. The study discovered no relation between longer duration of screen usage amongst any other mental health problems such as hyperactivity, peer issues or prosocial hindrances for both boys or girls. The studies within this report expose the central influences on the leading causes of mental health issues amongst adolescents that have forceful and lasting effects on child well-being such as family life, social dynamics at school and socioeconomic conditions, are more important than the direct influence of time spent using digital technology. The dopamine theory of addiction touched some importance in neuroscience as an insight into why addiction occurs. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that contributes a major role in regard to how the reward and learning part of our brain work. The dopamine theory of addiction proposes that drugs cause a dopamine release greater than that of natural rewards, making drug intake take precedence over other activities in life and therefore resulting in uncontrollable drug use and addiction. This concept, when applied to digital technology, is that as a pleasurable activity, such as digital technology will arouse the release of dopamine in the brain and manufacture feelings of reward comparable to a drug. The report stated,
Brain imaging methodologies are still in a very early stage and although studies that report links between brain structure and behavior tend to receive much attention in science and the media, recent findings show that many such links fail to replicate in follow up studies (Boekel et al., 2015). Unfortunately, both mass media and researchers sometimes misuse, misunderstand or exaggerate neuroscience findings, which leads to unhelpful narratives about hijacked brains, causing fear and confusion among the public.
The studies within this report expose the central influences on the leading causes of mental health issues amongst adolescents that have forceful and lasting effects on child well-being such as family life, social dynamics at school and socioeconomic conditions, are more important than the direct influence of time spent using digital technology. Taken collectively, the results from this review supports the statement that digital technology alone is not the main cause of mental health issues as a whole but is the circumstantial and individual factors that influence mental health the most.
When it comes to studying adolescents’ circumstances and grasping a holistic view, there is no better source than a psychologist, who encounters this first hand. Dr. Laura Nabors, a clinical psychologist who primarily focuses on the research of children’s health and mental health issues sat down with me to answer a few questions. When first introduced to Dr. Nabors it was easy to acknowledge that she was highly intelligent. She was sharply dressed, diligently spoken, and had a research portfolio the length of the Mississippi. In essence, Dr. Nabors knew what she was doing, and I, well I was here to listen. When I first started my interview process with Dr. Nabors I was straight to the point and asked her if she felt technology was the culprit for mental health issues amongst adolescents. She was quick to respond that mental health has been around since the beginning of time and that technology is not the reason that mental health is so prevalent. She was also quick to acknowledge that while it may not be the culprit, it can cause issues within cyberspace such as bullying, which can do damage on an adolescent’s mental wellbeing. In her own personal experience, she has also witnessed a child gain access to online pornography which will cause psychological damage on the developing mind. All of these accounts are caused by the gateways in which technology offers but not the technology itself. When asked what her biggest challenges were when trying to treat adolescents who suffered from issues with mental health, more specifically, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety, she reported that in her personal experience, those who suffer from ADHD and anxiety were much more receptive to face to face therapy without any outside sources such as technology to intervene. She listed off successful treatment plans for adolescents who suffered from ADHD that included cognitive behavioral strategies such as: short duration tasks, reinforcers such as praise, reward system, as well as simple tasks such as organizing their backpacks, setting timelines, utilizing their finger when taking exams to slow their pace, and setting a structured routine. All of which involve no involvement of technology and not because of its ineffectiveness for treatment. This is solely due to Dr. Nabors way of doing treatment being centered off her own personal therapy and practices, although she did acknowledge that treatment and strategies implemented utilizing Emental health interventions have been recognized as effective for anxiety management. Dr. Nabors additionally accounted for a single client who utilized technology by communicating via her phone to gain access therapy 24/7. Emental health has been a revolutionized method of treatment yet seems to be lagging implementation as of today. Dr. Nabors had a wealth of knowledge in regard to adolescents, as she has been studying them over twenty-four years. She counseled adolescents when technology was in its beginning stage of popularity and has continued to counsel adolescents as technology is becoming more prevalent than ever. Dr. Nabors sees technology as the entrance to reap negative effects on adolescent’s mental health and that the misuse of technology can harvest development issues within adolescents. To Dr. Nabors, it’s not the technology that causes issues, but the user on the other end that may be the culprit.
When considering the dynamics of technology and all it delivers, it’s not hard to recognize technology’s offering of cyber harassment. Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, a board-certified psychiatrist who has contributed to a plethora of research primarily focused on treatments for anxiety disorders and depression, studies how internet use and the experience of being a victim of cyberbullying are associated with more suicidal thoughts as well as self-injury like behaviors. The exposure of internet leads young people to a world of conversation and stories about suicide and such exposure is linked to suicide related contemplations. The report states, “The impact of Internet use on suicidal behaviors is dependent, it seems, on the specific information accessed and people contacted.”. This brings back the concept that it’s not the technology itself, but the user on the other end. It is studied that media usage provides effective distraction, humor, connection and a social network of community that serves as an effective management for depression. Although some studies have proven technology usage to reap positive benefits, Dr. Hoge acknowledges that the direction of the complex relationship with mental health disorders and communication technologies is an undergoing battle in fully examining how young people use media to manage their depression.
The different perspectives collected by highly acknowledged reports about mental health in adolescent’s delivers indication of diversity and similarity of views in unique manners. Mental health related communities have been shown to favor technology as a benefactor rather than a hindrance to adolescent’s. Doctors on the flip side have reported that the prolonged use of technology in adolescent’s must be monitored and limited and that it’s misusage is the largest contributor to mental health issues. The significance drawn from both communities can relay a notion that technology is here to stay, and that it is growing faster than ever. Contingent on where our main concern is, mental health amongst adolescent’s must be regulated. Our educators, parents, doctors and therapists are providing and caring for our adolescents first hand and the awareness of how technology usage effects adolescents must be spread. The digital age of technology consumption must be monitored to prevent over usage and promote moderate usage to reap maximum benefit. Ultimately, there is still much more to be discovered in approaching how technology usage impacts mental health and wellbeing of children, and as technology develops, so too will our understanding of the many aspects, both good and bad, that it can influence our lives.
Work Cited
Rosen, Larry D. IDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us. Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.
Wozney, Lori, et al. “EMental Healthcare Technologies for Anxiety and Depression in Childhood and Adolescence: Systematic Review of Studies Reporting Implementation Outcomes.” JMIR Mental Health, vol. 5, no. 2, 2018, doi:10.2196/mental.9655.
Kardefelt-Winther, D. How does the time children spend using digital technology impact their mental well-being, social relationships and physical activity? An evidence-focused literature review. Innocenti Discussion Paper 2017-02, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence.
Boekel, W., Wagenmakers, E-J., Belay, L. et al. (2015). A purely confirmatory replication study of structural brain-behavior correlations. Cortex, 66, 115-133.
Nabors, Laura. Personal interview. 7 Nov. 2018.
Elizabeth Hoge et al. “Digital Media, Anxiety, and Depression in Children.” Pediatrics Nov 2017, 140 (Supplement 2) S76-S80; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-1758G
Daine K, Hawton K, Singaravelu V, Stewart A, Simkin S, et al. (2013) The Power of the Web: A Systematic Review of Studies of the Influence of the Internet on Self-Harm and Suicide in Young People. PLOS ONE 8(10): e77555. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0077555
Morgan AJ, Jorm AF. Self-help interventions for depressive disorders and depressive symptoms: a systematic review. Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2008;7(1):13pmid:18710579