The blurb I have copied below ran today in Managed Care, a subscription publication popular across the health care industry. The message aligns strongly with what I wrote and teach based upon my most recent book, The Impact of Technology on Behavior & Happiness.
This topic — digital addiction — is vitally important to learn about, actively discuss, and fully respect with heightened awareness. Digital addiction is the single biggest behavioral change factor I have coached people through in the three decades I have taught behavioral-based talent development to businesses and academia. I have shared the short promo in its entirety below. Feel free to follow the links if you wish to learn more. I have also added some closing comments beneath the release.
August 10, 2017
Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, tells NPR that smartphones are making the “iGen generation” unhappy.
iGen generation? That’s Twenge’s coinage for the post-Millennials born between 1995 and 2012. It’s a cohort that is growing up with a smartphone ever-present in their hands, Instagramming and Snapchatting at a tender age, and with no memory whatsoever of life before the internet.
They seem to be doing well in many categories—they drink less, for example—but Twenge contends that “it’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental health crisis in decades.” Ironically, in an age of connectivity, they feel more isolated.
Twenge was touting a book in the works based on a recent article of hers in the Atlantic that’s raised alarms about just how smartphones are affecting youngsters.
The NPR interview boils it down nicely, including possible solutions. Teens need to become aware that spending an inordinate amount of time on a smartphone isn’t healthy and that such time interferes with face-to-face interaction that helps alleviate feelings of isolation.
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Comments:
This age group, 5-to-22, is a bit broad in that it really covers three distinctly different stages of development. A child’s formative years are (roughly) from birth-to-13. Parents who stick vid screens in front of their children during their formative years will feed the problem. Millions — too many millions — mindlessly do so.
The next bracket of influence years, ages 14-to-18, cover high school. These years are tough enough under the best of conditions, so being vulnerable to bullying, poor self-image and lack of self-esteem brings a terrible downside risk.
The third segment, the oldest professor Twenge refers to, are college-aged young adults. Campuses are dealing with an enormous, growing problem on campus as it relates to student addictions and an alarming lack of coping and resilience skills.
What I found especially important in the brief Managed Care promo for professor Twenge is her use of the word “happiness.” There is very much a “cause and effect” dynamic in play that parents, friends, teachers, and bosses must understand and coach through.
To schedule a “real world” learning session for your organization as it relates to The Impact of Technology on Behavior & Happiness, please contact me so we can get it on the calendar. Until someone is happy with who he or she is, they will never be happy with what they have.
Thanks for caring about this topic. Life gets really complicated really quickly when we lack essential life skills required to manage our feelings and emotions.
Best regards,
email: Ted@OceanPalmer.com