The Brain and Social Impacts of Early Device Exposure and Screen Time
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
- With 95% of teens on social media, concerns over early smartphone and tablet exposure's impact on neurological and social growth are intensifying. Recent findings from The Global Mind Project underscore the benefits of delaying device exposure for children, pointing towards better adult mental health and enhanced social skills. Conversely, early adopters face increased risks, from suicidal tendencies to cognitive lags. Especially concerning are the adverse effects on young children (2-5 years), with excessive screen time linked to developmental setbacks. While I recognize technology's advantages, I'm biased toward its potential overuse issues. As we navigate this digital age, it's crucial to critically assess and adapt our device habits, especially for our children.
00:00 - Are teenagers addicted?
00:20 - Why screen time in childhood affects the adult brain
00:30 - Delayed development of the social self
01:04 - Effect on toddlers
01:28 - Worse sleep and less physical activity
01:47 - Can we find balance?
02:14 - My recommendations and conclusions
02:39 - Avoiding the dopamine trap
03:09 - The Need for Open Dialogue and Awareness
References and resources:
www.pewresearch.org/internet/...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30606...
sapienlabs.org/wp-content/upl... - Наука та технологія
Is there any difference based on what they are using the device for? It seems like there would be differences between a kid using a tablet to learn the alphabet and another kid playing games
Yes, I'm sure there's a difference! That being said, in my mind, it seems clear that, rather than navigating those differences and trying to tease out the sometimes fuzzy boundaries, it's been easier to take a more restrained approach. At the end of the day, smartphones are a supernormal stimulus. They manipulate us in a way that feels like it has parallels to, for example, ultra-processed foods. It makes figuring out where that healthy balance is challenging, and I've found it helpful to minimize exposure altogether (you don't miss what you don't know).
Great question and I appreciate others may philosophically differ here, but appreciate that we can have this discussion together!
Neither learning nor playing games are the problem: It's allowing them to have the freedom to choose any video they want and then letting the algorithm feed your kid nonstop videos. In more recent times with tiktok style videos and shorts- it's even worse; where they are constantly getting that dopamine hit and immediate gratification over and over again from the short videos. That really reduces their attention span, their ability to focus, reduces their patience, makes them entitled to get what they want all the time and hinders their ability to sit still without being "bored" if they don't have that constant stimulus of bright flashing lights and loud noises. If you watch any kind of successful kids channels, they always have a lot of bright colors and loud screaming and very short and quick jump cuts in the editing. It literally makes their brains addicted to it. But nothing destroys a kids mind more than tiktoks and shorts... Once they get a little older, there's another predatory layer that is the "social media's-- where kids can be bullied a lot, or they just become addicted to posting their life online and get emotionally attached to all the likes and replies, etc. None of it is good for them if it's not in moderation. You're better off getting them into sports.. Put them on a baseball or soccer team.
There's most likely other factors such as blue light and the disruption of the circadian rhythm. There are studies that show that screens (blue light) triggers puberty earlier in girls.(search for: early menses blue light) So, aside from the content the device is showing the children, there are also very real physical toxicity happening through the lights emitted from the screens.
A child doesn't need a "device" to learn the alphabet. They simply need a book with a page for each letter, a representation of the letter via a picture of a basic, concrete and common easy to relate to object, and a brief simple sentence relating the letter to the object. That simple sentence provides context for the child (or whoever the learner happens to be) and a beginning of the earliest rudiments of spelling. All of this done with some trusted adult concerned with and charged with the child's education.
It is ridiculous and disgusting that society and parents are pretending not to know the above.
The medium is the message.
Thank you for this data. Ever since I read the book Irresistible, my guard has been up. It just struck me as far too odd that the leaders behind the companies that make smartphones, tablets and the corresponding apps, don't allow their kids to have smart phones and tablets.
There's only a few types of businesses that will sell a product to your kids that they would not allow their own kids to have
An important message... yet hard for many people to come to terms with... I see so many young children - often under 5 - in supermarkets or such with a smartphone as their distraction... must make it easier for mum to get the shopping done, but what damage are they doing to the child, or the relationship that they don't build in sharing the activity... as a parent, shopping was an opportunity to talk to my children about food choices, learning to calculate quantities and prices, meal planning etc. Kids don't learn how to talk to other people when they are staring at a screen from an early age... they and their parent miss so many learning / teaching moments... I also see a similar thing, but where the parent is on the phone and the child is just totally alone, with no-one to talk to really, just staring around the mall or the bus, looking to make contact with somebody, as the mother is engrossed in some app and chastises the child for interrupting her...
Yeah, the kids gets addicted to having quick gratification in any moment they are bored. That used to be an exploring moment, when one would develop strategies to find engagement with whatever one sees or feels, developing a lot more mindfulness.
My brothers kid doesn't even eat without a screen in front of him, because the mother is "too tired" to engage with her own child (she works half-period, and has a full-time cleaning lady and a half-time babysitter to help her). And the kid is the one to choose the game or video to watch, always. I foresee possible learning and behavioral issues for the child in the future. Sad.
It’s so hard to navigate. Is it just social media that is damaging or have a little screen that is damaging. I read stories to my kids on my tablet, so it’s literally just a book in digital form. Is that bad? I’m struggling to get nuanced information on it.
dear Dr Rhonda Patrick!my as one of my countrys(Cyprus)leading historical pioneers in the field of Natural Medicine ,i would love to congratulate you for this timely and invaluable short reference to the dangers of smartphones and tablets in regard to the growth and health of children!Ms Patrick you are a force of scientific good !and a beacon of light!again thank you!!!
We did not allow our son to use smart phones, tablets, or computer games until junior high. He began using them when his school required their use as teaching tools. From what my son told me, the schools had little control over what students were accessing even while in class. Imo, they are more distracting than helpful and even potentially harmful.
Even in 1999 when computers and internet were still new, the schools had little control over what we did during lessons in the computer lab. Parental controls are never 100% and kids will always find a way around them... or just draw in MS paint or play solitaire instead.
Definitely agree. I just took my 2 year old for a speech assessment today and he has a slight developmental delay. We allow more TV time than we should, but at least drew a line at tablets and smartphones for now. Anecdotally, the kids in my life who I've seen are given unlimited access to phones/tablets with headphones in restaurants and other settings to watch as much UA-cam as they want, definitely seem more prone to mood swings or meltdowns, being off in their own world, worse communication skills, difficulty coping without these devices (addiction), and even autism-like tendencies.
Same kind of case here at 3 :(
You are the spark that ignited my change of career path into nursing, and I am so glad for it. Love you and your research. Thank you.
Excellent coverage on a very concerning topic. Thank you for covering this. I recently noted the speed and design of video games now compared to even 20 years ago. It’s truly astonishing.
The smart device issue is very difficult. Parents seem to feel pressured into giving their kids one and then the kids who don’t have one find it hard to find others to interact with at school recess or even at summer camps during lunch etc. It’s tragic to see what is happening and very few are talking about the long term consequences of this. Messages like this help to bring more awareness and hopefully encourage parents to be more cautious and measured with these devices when it comes to these young, developing minds.🇨🇦🙏
Great video. I’m curious how badly this affects adults as well, definitely would love if you covered that topic too.
Thank you for your help, ma'am.... really appreciate your efforts,Dr.Rhonda Patrick
Thanks for putting this together and confirming what most parents with a little bit of consciousness and common sense already know! Keep up the greatness! 🙂
Adult women are messed up by social media, I can't imagine how bad it would be for the younger ones.
So glad this conversation is being had. Tip of the hat to you Rhonda!
You dont give kids alcohol, social media and to a lesser extent screen should be viewed as the same. Any hyper stimulant.
I agree,!some parents feel proud when they see their kids using gadgets thinking it will make their kids smarter.
They're not good for adults either.
Agree!
-Sent from my IPhone
Fantastic points Doctor, thank you!
Extended close vision use is also a huge problem for eyesight. Another angle, literrally, is that the smaller the device the more restrained the eye movement becomes, which is also detrimental long term. Doing learning on a big screen from a distance, emulating a blackboard in a classroom setting, is helpful because the eyes roam to gather the information.
But by far the best is being outside in nature.
Could you do an episode on eye health?
MUITO OBRIGADO DRA RHONDA! Seus vídeos são fantásticos, uma grande fonte de informações para a saúde e bem estar.
I think your point of view on this super important issue is excellent. I would like UA-cam allow the possibility of adding subtitles in Spanish, it would help many parents. Thank you
They sell minimalist or dumb phones. Some still have WhatsApp and a camera. I think there will be more of these types of phones that become popular as we learn more.
Light phone
Punkt
@@vigofoxThose are very expensive. I use a Unihertz Jelly. I love it. It's too small and too slow to get caught up in all the entertainment nonsense, but can still do critical smartphone stuff we need today, like 2FA. I paid $100 for mine.
Thank you for this. I’m, CERTAINLY, guilty of this for my first child, but I won’t be making the same mistake with my other child
My sentiments exactly. "D'oh, too late!" 😭
Love the data! Thank you! ❤
Worsened when kids staying home during cov and being forced online. Thanks for this crucial topic.
Amazing video. Thank you so much! Great details.
Thank you! I know this was a short one and not my usual style, but I just thought it was a great opportunity to talk about something that I think is important. I hope it came across in a way that felt like there's room for people to have differing philosophical ideas around the subject. It's more important that we have the conversation rather than all come to the exact same conclusion.
Do you have any video suggestions that I could share with my soon to be 14yr old son? I want him to understand the negative effects of screen time so he will cut back on usage. Thanks 🙏
A topic I needed to hear more
thanks
I hope parents heed this. I hope that in the near future the assualt of e-ddiction (e = electronics/tech) on human health and development are examined and discussed the same way Tik Tok is rerferenced. Thank you for dedication to health and education.
Important things to consider these days
Great vid
Not to mention the long-term effects of chronic exposure to blue, high-flicker lights and nnEMF.
"I am personally enormously enriched by tech"
Happy for you and others who manage to be thereby enriched, but the more I think about it, the less I feel that way.
what year was this study made ? I think the first iphone was in June 29, 2007 and they monitored these children until they was 18yrs ? is there any links to the reference material
Added some references and resources to the description (also pictured in the video)
Folding and bending a manuscript (book) may activate more neurons than a steadier ergonomic position with a device; the two and two of: piecing together the lines of words with continual progression of hand motion might coincide with a healthier outlook on time and (life); whereas the oftentimes sporadic output of digital experience can disassociate from historic norms of literacy.
And yet they are required for grade one in our local public schools! It's not right.
Your skin looks amazing - is it a tan or/and your food/nutrient intake?
I'm biologically 34, but felt so young as I'm addicted to YT and have the symptoms and issues mentioned here.
It's honestly worrying how many parents use phones and tablets as pacifiers for even toddlers without giving any thought as to how they're impacting their child's development.
Do you have links to the studies please?
They're all linked in the description. Are you actually going to read them or is that just a passive-aggressive way of indicating your skepticism at the findings?
@Yarcofin no I want to use them for my research and to share. Passive aggressiveness is pointless, rude and serves no purpose
This is terrifying as a father of nine!
It maybe best but we don't know the positives of this tradeoff yet. It could be a matter of what is being consumed via screens. Early exposure could lead to positive advancements.
is a TV any better or would you place them in the same bag?
The baby boomers aren't any better with the afterwork TV sessions either. also. intelligent people tend to be depressed
My philosophy is to limit it for young children. Little splurge here and there as a treat (maybe a movie), but really try to keep a grip on it. Just my take.
👍👍👍
When I was a kid I had to pretend dirt clods were soldiers and tanks when I wanted to play.
This also explained in the book: Dopamin Nation written by research psychiatrist
Parents NEED to parent. My kid doesn't have a phone and she begs. I say no and have explained the why. She Understands do not likes it but understands it.
Yeah, sadly enforcing this is not easy or practical for most who don't have the money or family.
Just say no. Humans lived a long time without them
As someone who has just left the mobile industry after 13 years, ive 100% noticed this.
Over the years you have a lot of repeat custom from families coming in to buy devices for them and their kids, so you get to know these families and see the children grow up.
And i can tell you from first hand experience, as an example, you will see a bright, engaging 9/10 year old, full of questions and very active getting his/her first phone.
You'll then see that same kid when the family comes in to upgrade devices 2 years later...
Not engaging in conversation, attention span reduced to that of a fish, stopped doing most physical activities...
It literally changes brain development and ruins the brains long term reward systems from what i can tell when used the wrong way...
Sad times when this isnt at the forefront of health and safety warnings
Smart phones are stupid. The only thing smart was the naming campaign.
I don’t understanding why we need a research for this information this is so obvious…
Intuition has lead me to believe restrictions on screens / devices are important, to ensure they have a range of experiences, activities, and habits critical to their development, but when I’ve read into the data on this subject in the past, I didn’t find studies compelling. The primary limitations i recall had a common theme : association is not causation.
Social media hit when I was in high school, and Instant messages leading up to it. I abandoned that shit very quickly, but I am always very skeptical of arguments structured in this way. Because weed and videogames also hit in high school, and I see a lot of the same poor standards for cause. With a lot of the same behavioral, environmental and demographical pitfalls; that describe some kind of despair and negative use, of a potentially good outlet.... These aren't new facts. These are old facts, with old applications for new outlets, of old personality types.
Even bad food is part of a healthy reward system; and some "good" food, is only good in selective quantities. Is the problem that bad food is too easy to get. Sure, but in place of good food being hard to get, and a separate discipline that has to be learned. But not learned exclusively from learning how to enjoy "bad" food. When Compulsion is at the heart of an argument, its always tricky to provide meaningful data that someone will want to act on. But that doesn't stop us either.
This is no more a solution for suicidal ideation and human worth; Than "hey kids, sex evil and over your head" is for teen pregnancy statistics. If you want to micro manage your three year old, great! But for adolescence, why don't we first try to treat the issue with respect. Smart Phones are access, that is valuable. For us, and the entire impoverished world, that is starting to get some of that access, through the valuable shit we use and discard.
i dont think the flipphone will make a difference. Your kid will then just spend more than enough time on their friends phones when theyre together
Social media has destroyed women. The manosphere is finally right about something
essentially, same results as what Jonathan Haidt found
never mind kids smartphones are not good for anyone. They are a worse addiction then cigarettes. We definitely need phones that are just phones and we need to start talking to people one on one not texting or any other form of communication. We are all in need of a time out for phones.
Comment for algorithm ❤
I would love to give my son a phone when he's older, but giving him something like a flip phone would be a social suicide.
Moderation >>> abstinence. They need some time to learn to be a content creator like you.
Perhaps UA-cam Kids should have algorithms biased towards healthy lifestyle. Stick it in their minds while they're easily influenced.
duh~
Kids who would otherwise be neglected probably benefit from the devises. Those who just turn down family time and interaction with parents almost certainly suffer.
I am optimistic about AI. It could be programmed to be very polite and helpful, and the kids could learn good social skills with these AIs. And I think only interacting with a few people in their age group is very limiting. One can easily persuade others with bad arguments, dubious positions, that would never hold up vs more educated people. But adding in AI they get that expert who will soundly snuff out rubbish. Or at least prepare them to understand the world better.
AI has some issues today, but it is advancing rapidly. I think it is going to be fantastic. There is a danger that it will be used to manipulate politics. I have seen evidence of that already. A lot of dubious "social justice" nonsense was/is being pushed by Chat GP3. I doubt it is there by accident. Could be worse, I suppose. It is also very anti-genetic modification of humans, but I suspect this is the prevailing position, and AI generally presents prevailing positions.
You can't program an AI to be any sort of way. You tell it what the goal is, and it will decide how to do it for itself. That's the whole problem. In the case of social media, it realized that the easiest way to get engagement is to outrage people and feed into division and tribalism. AIs constantly solve problems in weird ways that we don't think of in advance. That's the essence of the alignment problem. I see no reason to be optimistic: our first major deployment (the recommendation algorithms) has already nearly destroyed our society...and we are just getting started. Without serious regulation (which is not the culture of the US), I don't see how we can keep the same thing from happening again. It was, after all, incredibly profitable for all companies involved. Why would they do any differently next time?
The smartphone I am typing on at the moment is probably not good for me either. And Im an adult.
But . . . If not for this smartphone, I’d not be able to watch you, QT😉
Smartphones are the new cigarettes
Go Go Super Babe!🫵🏼😃✊🏼