Tag: device use

Categories : NeurologyTags : Leave a comment

Brain Study Shows TV and Gaming Boosts Young Adults’ Focus, Social Media Hinders It

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Freestocks on Unsplash

A world-first Swinburne-led study into young adults’ brain activity has found that TV and gaming are associated with increased focus, while social media is associated with decreased focus. 

In this study, published in Nature, 18-25 year olds exposed to phone screens for only three minutes experienced changes in mood, energy, tension, focus and happiness, explains one of the lead researchers Swinburne’s Dr Alexandra Gaillard. 

“Our study was the first to record brain activity during different forms of screen use on young adults using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We found that different forms of screen use, including social media, are associated with distinct patterns in activity and mood states.” 

“Almost everyone owns a smart phone which they use for at least three hours a day for entertainment. Mood disorders are increasing in prevalence worldwide and we shouldn’t rule out the possibility that phones are a contributor.” 

The study found that oxygenated haemoglobin (HbO) levels increased more following social media use and gaming compared to TV viewing, while deoxygenated haemoglobin (HbR) levels increased more following gaming. 

“These findings suggest that interactive types of entertainment really do get the brain more engaged,” says Dr Gaillard.  

“Interestingly, though, when it came to social media, people reported feeling less focused—and those who felt less focused also showed lower levels of brain activity. On the flip side, gaming actually helped boost focus and showed a rise in deoxygenated haemoglobin, which means the brain was actively using more of the oxygen it was getting. In other words, gaming seemed to get the brain working harder in a good way.” 

With six months to go until Australia’s impending teen social media ban, there are still no clear pathways for age-checking tools and the positive impacts of the policy on different types of technology and platforms.  

Dr Gaillard says that while this study looked at young adults, these findings suggest a similar outcome to teenagers which should be considered by experts when implementing the ban. 

“If this is the effect on a fully developed brain, we urgently need to consider the impacts on teenagers and children who are increasingly using these technologies.” 

The Swinburne research team is calling for further research to understand the complex and nuanced relationship between screen activities and how they engage they brain. 

“Excessive screen time can negatively impact cognitive abilities, attention and executive functioning, but we also know how invaluable they can be in forming connections and a sense of belonging as well as improving educational outcomes.” 

“This isn’t a call for blanket reductions; screens certainly serve a purpose for unwinding and leisure. We ask that young people are conscious of how their activity impacts them and that they make choices that are right for them.” 

Source: Swinburne University

Categories : Mental HealthTags :

Addictive Screen Use, Not Time, Linked to Youth Suicide Risk

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Steinar Engeland on Unsplash

New research shows that youth who become increasingly addicted to social media, mobile phones or video games are at greater risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts and emotional or behavioural issues. The study, published in JAMA, was led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley.

Unlike previous studies that focused on total screen time at one point in a child’s life, this study looked at how young people’s patterns of compulsive or “addictive” use changed over time. These patterns included feeling unable to stop using a device, experiencing distress when not using it or using it to escape from problems. In contrast, simply spending more time on screens at 10 years old wasn’t associated with worse suicide-related and mental health outcomes.

“For parents and educators, the discussion around mobile phones and social media has focused on limiting or banning use, but our results indicate more complex factors are involved,” said first author Dr Yunyu Xiao, assistant professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Clinical trials have shown that limiting cell phone use, for instance during school hours, was not effective in reducing the risk of suicidal behaviour or improving other aspects of mental health.”

This study could signal a paradigm shift in how the impact of screen time on youth mental health is addressed. “Testing interventions that work against other types of addiction may be one way to approach this type of social media and mobile phone use,” Dr Xiao said.

Quantity Versus Quality

Over four years, the researchers tracked nearly 4300 youths aged 9 to 10 when they first started the study. Using machine learning and data from participant interviews, the researchers characterised three addictive use trajectories for social media and mobile phone usage and two for addictive use with video games. When graphed, these trajectories depicted relative levels of addictive behaviours.

By age 14, almost one in three participants had a high addictive use trajectory for social media and one in four for mobile phones. More than 40% of the youths had a high addictive use trajectory for video games. These adolescents were significantly more likely to report suicidal thoughts or behaviours, as well as symptoms of anxiety, depression, aggression or rule-breaking.

The researchers also found that each type of digital activity showed unique patterns of association with suicide-related behaviours and mental health symptoms. For social media and mobile phones, the high and increasing addictive use trajectories were associated with a two to three times greater risk of suicidal behaviours and suicidal ideation compared with the low addictive use trajectory. The higher use trajectories were also associated with either internalising symptoms such as anxiousness and depression, or externalising symptoms, including aggressiveness or inattentiveness.

“Parents may want to pay more attention to how their kids are using their digital devices and consider having them evaluated for signs of addictive use, said co-first author Dr Yuan Meng, postdoctoral associate in population health sciences at Weill Cornell. “If an addiction is identified, limiting use of mobile phones and social media for part of the day, may potentially reinforce addictive behaviors, so seeking professional advice is essential.”

Source: Weill Cornell Medicine

Categories : PaediatricsTags :

Outdoor Play can Mitigate the Worst Effects of Kids’ Screen Time

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Emily Wade on Unsplash

Children around the world are spending more and more time with screens, which is a great concern for parents and physicians alike. New research from Japan indicates that more screen time at age 2 is associated with poorer communication and daily living skills at age 4 – but playing outdoor seems to reduce some of the negative effects.

For their study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, the researchers followed 885 children from 18 months to 4 years of age. They looked at the relationship between three key features: average amount of screen time per day at age 2, amount of outdoor play at age 2 years 8 months, and neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 4: communication, daily living skills, and socialization scores according to a standardised assessment tool called Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-II.

“Although both communication and daily living skills were worse in 4-year-old children who had had more screen time at aged 2, outdoor play time had very different effects on these two neurodevelopmental outcomes,” explains Kenji J. Tsuchiya, Professor at Osaka University and lead author of the study. “We were surprised to find that outdoor play didn’t really alter the negative effects of screen time on communication – but it did have an effect on daily living skills.”

Specifically, almost one-fifth of the effects of screen time on daily living skills were mediated by outdoor play, meaning that increasing outdoor play time could reduce the negative effects of screen time on daily living skills by almost 20%. The researchers also found that, although it was not linked to screen time, socialisation was better in 4-year-olds who had spent more time playing outside at 2 years 8 months of age.

“Taken together, our findings indicate that optimizing screen time in young children is really important for appropriate neurodevelopment,” says Tomoko Nishimura, senior author of the study. “We also found that screen time is not related to social outcomes, and that even if screen time is relatively high, encouraging more outdoor play time might help to keep kids healthy and developing appropriately.”

These results are particularly important given the recent COVID-related lockdowns around the world, which have generally led to more screen time and less outdoor time for children. Because the use of digital devices is difficult to avoid even in very young children, further research looking at how to balance the risks and benefits of screen time in young children is eagerly awaited.

Source: Osaka University