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According to the 2025 Global Web Index, people are on the Internet an average of 6.5 hours a day. In addition to this, individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 spend another 2.5 hours online. That is a lot of time and attention spent away from other interests, family, community and nature. What is it that is so compelling?
Commander Dr. Andrew Doan is a specialist in problematic gaming and technology use. He is also possibly the only neuroscientist who has overcome a gaming addiction. He says anytime there is arousal, there can be addiction because it feels good. The arousal stimulates the adrenaline rush, which combined with dopamine on the dopamine-reward pathway, is the perfect recipe for addiction. Additionally, “Gaming companies will hire the best neurobiologists and neuroscientists to hook up electrodes to the test-gamer. If they don’t elicit the blood pressure that they shoot for –typically 180 over 120 or 140 within a few minutes of playing, and if they don’t show sweating and an increase in their galvanic skin responses, they go back and tweak the game to get that maximum addicting and arousing response that they’re looking for.”
~~Commander Dr. Andrew Doan Wait, what? Oh, right. This is another corporate- caused addiction. We can add it to the list that includes tobacco, opioids, and ultra-processed food. Is this a surprise to anyone?
But technology is good for our children, right?
Wrong. There is a plethora of research that confirms the opposite. The following compilation of research comes from the book ‘Glow Kids’ by Nicholas Kardaras: DECREASED PERCEPTION OF STIMULI – Fifteen years ago, people could distinguish 300,000 sounds; today many children can’t go beyond 100,000…Twenty years ago the average subject could detect 350 different shades of a particular color. Today the number is 130.
The researchers concluded in their report that increasingly ‘brutal thrill’ was needed in order for our brains to register stimuli.
INCREASED AGGRESSIVE THOUGHTS – Exposure to violent video games makes more aggressive, less caring kids – regardless of their age, sex or culture. The study concludes that violent games are not just a correlation, but a causal risk factor for increased aggressive thoughts and behavior.
DIGITAL DRUG BRAIN – Research from several recent brain-imaging studies that show us that tech exposure can also alter brain structure and myelination in exactly the same way drugs can.
POORER STUDENTS – When ‘deprived’ children (from low-tech Guatemala) were given learning environments equal to those provided for North America, they demonstrated an ability to learn estimated to be three or four times greater than that of their higher- tech peers, showing far superior attention, comprehension and retention. In other words, less tech equaled better minds and thus better learners.
While this research is highly concerning, it is good to also know that much of this is reversible. Also, from the book ‘Glow Kids’ by Nicholas Kardaras.
GET OUT IN NATURE – A research study concludes that exposure to nature led to ‘profound differences’ in children’s attentional capacities and that ‘green spaces may enable children to think more clearly and cope more effectively with life stress.’ What a magnificent and easy solution!
FOUR TO SIX WEEK TECH FAST – For those who strictly adhered to the fast, the results have been dramatic – if electronic screen syndrome was observed along with a true underlying psychiatric disorder, the tech fast was effective 80% of the time and typically reduced symptoms by at least half; in cases where there did not appear to be an underlying psychiatric condition, there was often ‘complete resolution of symptoms.’ It is said, if the solution works, you know you have the problem.
CONNECTION – Johann Hari said that ‘The opposite of addiction is not sobriety; the opposite of addiction is connection.’ We can all connect better with those we know and love.
What elegant solutions to the technology capture.
Why not reclaim six and a half hours a day, spend more time in Nature, let go of technology, and connect with people? Who might we become? What could we create?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if each of us could do this?
Wouldn’t it be even more amazing if everyone did? May it be so.
- STACY COSSEY IS A MOTHER OF TWO, GRANDMOTHER OF THREE AND HAS A CONCERN FOR ALL CHILDREN. SHE COMES FROM A FAMILY OF TEACHERS AND IS THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF ONE OF PRIEST RIVER’S SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS, CHARLES R. RANDALL.
