Managing Digital Media and Devices

Menanteau Serfontein – 1 April 2021

Do you regard digital media and devices as beneficial, an opportunity, a threat or a nuisance?

Are you aware of the potential risks and detrimental effects associated with the inappropriate use of digital media and devices? If so, do you know how to overcome inappropriate usage?

We are all acutely aware of the substantial benefits of the Internet, Smartphones and Social Media as well as the enjoyment that can be derived from playing Video Games. We also realize that the importance and utilization of digital media and devices will be increasing exponentially in the future.

I believe that we should embrace these realities as opportunities to improve our productivity and quality of life. In fact, if we don’t keep up with the changes in technology, there would be a risk of becoming unable to compete in the workplace and to operate effectively in our daily lives within the dynamics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) world.

Having said this, we should simultaneously be aware of the substantial risks and detrimental effects associated with the inappropriate use of digital media and devices.

Most of the research about the symptoms, risks and consequences of the problematic use of smartphones and social media, video games and the internet, has been conducted separately for each of these entities. However, there is a lot of overlap and similarities between the respective research findings. Although there are some differences, there appears to be sufficient commonality in the research findings in respect of the symptoms and risks as well as the ways to overcome problematic usage. This Article summarizes the most important common research findings and principles.

The sources that have been studied to obtain most of the content of this Article are listed at the end.

Definitions

Digital Media include social media, the internet, digital images, digital videos, video games, web pages, etc.

Digital Devices include desktop computers, laptop computers, smartphones, tablet computers, e-readers, etc.

An addiction to digital media and/or devices is characterized as being overly concerned about any of these media and/or devices, driven by an uncontrollable and compulsive urge to log on and make use of it, and devoting so much time and effort to it that it impairs other important areas of life such as work, school and relationships.

Problematic use of digital media and/or devices is an inability to regulate one’s use of these media and/or devices, resulting in negative consequences in daily life.

For the purpose of this Article, the term Problematic use is preferred, because the emphasis is on the general principles related to the responsible usage of digital media and/or devices and the substantial risks and detrimental effects associated with inappropriate usage.

Symptoms – Warning Signs of Overuse

Examples of the types of symptoms outlined below could be an indication that an individual’s use of digital media and/or devices is, or could become, problematic:

Becoming isolated from family and friends.
Poor performance at school, work, or other important activities of life as a result of a preoccupation with usage.
Lying to others about the amount of time spent on such activities and often does it in secret.
Neglecting work or school or other important activities of life.
Having trouble completing tasks at work or home
Avoiding or neglecting other activities such as hobbies or friendships.
Compulsively checking their phone while driving, during meetings or during conversations with family and friends.
Becoming severely irritated, restless and even angry, if online time is interrupted, the battery runs down or the operating system crashes.
Inability to set limits on how much time is spent on the activity(ies) concerned
Symptoms of physical or psychological withdrawal, such as loss of appetite, sleeplessness, agitation, or emotional outbursts if unable to engage in the activity(ies) concerned.
Skipping meals to focus on the relevant activity(ies).
Getting up at night to check messages, notifications, etc on the device.
Often tired because they’re not getting enough sleep.
Engaging in the relevant activity(ies) as a way to escape stressful situations at work or school, or conflicts at home.

Risks/Effects of Problematic Use

Problematic usage of digital media and/or devices can negatively impact your life by:

Increasing loneliness and depression. While it may seem that losing yourself online will temporarily make feelings such as loneliness, depression, and boredom evaporate into thin air, it can actually make you feel even worse. A 2014 study found a correlation between high social media usage and depression and anxiety. Users, especially teens, tend to compare themselves unfavourably with their peers on social media, promoting feelings of loneliness and depression.

Fuelling anxiety. One researcher found that the mere presence of a phone in a workplace tends to make people more anxious and perform poorly on given tasks. The heavier a person’s phone use, the greater the anxiety they experienced.

Increasing stress. Using a smartphone for work often means work bleeds into your home and personal life. You feel the pressure to always be on, never out of touch from work. This need to continually check and respond to email and messages can contribute to higher stress levels and even burnout.

Exacerbating attention deficit disorders. The constant stream of messages and information from a smartphone can overwhelm the brain and make it impossible to focus attention on any one thing for more than a few minutes without feeling compelled to move on to something else.

Diminishing your ability to concentrate and think deeply or creatively. The persistent buzz, ping or beep of your smartphone can distract you from important tasks, slow your work, and interrupt those quiet moments that are so crucial to creativity and problem solving. Instead of ever being alone with our thoughts, we’re now always online and connected.

Sedentary lifestyle. Hours spent sitting at a computer or in front of a device can take a toll on a young person’s body. The lack of physical exercise involved in video gaming has led to public health concerns about weight gain, poor posture, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in America’s children and teens.

Lack of social engagement. Learning how to interact with others in a real-world setting is an important social skill that may be neglected by individuals who spend too much time on digital media and/or devices.

Increased aggression or violence. Children and teens who devote a lot of time to playing video games that focus on combat, fighting, or violence may display more signs of aggression than those who don’t play these games.

Disturbing your sleep. Excessive smartphone use can disrupt your sleep, which can have a serious impact on your overall mental health. It can impact your memory, affect your ability to think clearly, and reduce your cognitive and learning skills.

Encouraging self-absorption. A UK study found that people who spend a lot of time on social media are more likely to display negative personality traits such as narcissism. Snapping endless selfies, posting all your thoughts or details about your life can create an unhealthy self-centeredness, distancing you from real-life relationships and making it harder to cope with stress.

Not all researchers agree that video gaming could become a harmful or addictive activity. Many people, including parents, believe that video games expand the imagination, give children the opportunity to work collaboratively, and sharpen cognitive skills. Yet when young people spend most of their time playing video games at the expense of schoolwork, physical exercise, family events, or social activities, the benefits of gaming seem less certain.

There is some controversy over whether video gaming could become an addiction comparable to gambling, drug abuse, or alcoholism. Psychology Today states that the comparison between video gaming and gambling is flawed, because there are no financial stakes or material losses involved with video games. Winning a video game requires cognitive skills and sharp reflexes, while winning at gambling is a matter of luck. However, according to WebMD, video game addiction can be considered a type of impulse control disorder.

There are many misguided beliefs and misconceptions about video games. In some schools of thought, these computerized programs are entirely negative, promoting violence, sexism, and social isolation among young people. Other perspectives hold that video games can be a valuable tool for education and character development, allowing children to simulate the roles of powerful heroes. In reality, video games have both positive and negative characteristics, and the effect of playing games often depends on the player’s attitudes toward games and life in general.

Video games offer an endless adventure inside a fantasy world where players can essentially live a different life as a new person. They provide an opportunity to escape reality and leave behind problems of the real world. The nature of the Video Game world includes the opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, social acceptance and having a useful role to play amongst the virtual communities of players.

Some adults sacrifice their jobs and marriages to spend 60 hours every week playing video games on the computer. Some children and teenagers become so attached to video games that they threaten their parents when they’re told to put down the controller.

While you can experience impulse-control problems with a laptop or desktop computer, the size and convenience of smartphones and tablets means that we can take them just about anywhere and gratify our compulsions at any time. Like the use of drugs and alcohol, they can trigger the release of the brain chemical dopamine and alter your mood. You can also rapidly build up tolerance so that it takes more and more time in front of these screens to derive the same pleasurable reward.

Staring at your phone will deny you the face-to-face interactions that can help to meaningfully connect you to others, alleviate anxiety, and boost your mood. In other words, the remedy you’re choosing for your anxiety (e.g. engaging with your smartphone), is actually making your anxiety worse.

Children and adolescents

There is evidence that children who start to play video games at younger ages are more likely to develop video game addictions than children who start to play them when they’re older. Nevertheless, addiction to video games is a risk for children of all ages. Video game addiction is likely to negatively impact a child’s success in school. A child who plays video games obsessively will probably fail to study, finish homework, or participate in sports or school clubs. They may also be tired at school and fall asleep in class.

Studies have shown that playing video games excessively can negatively affect a child’s emotional development as well as their academic success. Children who have a video game addiction may be more inclined to exhibit aggressive and anti-social behaviour, and they might fail to develop mature social skills. Children’s minds are especially vulnerable to forming habits and routines. Parents should make sure that their children have a balanced relationship with any video game that they play.

Overuse of social media/networking sites is much more problematic in children and young adults because their brains and social skills are still developing. Research has shown that adolescents who habitually use social media from a young age have severely stunted social interaction skills. Despite the fact that users are interacting with each other on these platforms, many of them don’t necessarily translate to the real world. Studies have found that these individuals have worsened social anxiety in groups, higher rates of depression, negative body-image, and lowered levels of empathy and compassion towards others when surveyed.

The constant barrage of perfectly filtered photos that appear on social network sites can also cause low self-esteem and disordered eating in young adults. Though many teens know that their peers share only their best pictures and moments on social media, it’s very difficult to avoid making comparisons. The ongoing exposure to unrealistic beauty standards through social networking sites can affect how teenagers perceive their own bodies. One study from the University of Pittsburgh found a correlation between time spent scrolling through social media apps and negative body image feedback. Those who had spent more time on social media had 2.2 times the risk of reporting eating and body image concerns, compared to their peers who spent less time on social media. Everything from physical appearance to life circumstances to perceived successes are scrutinized and processed by users. The need to gain “likes” on social media can cause teens to not only alter their appearance, but make choices they would otherwise not make, including accepting risky social media challenges and engaging in negative behaviours.

The competition for attention and “likes” can even lead to online bullying. Name-calling, rumour-spreading, and harassment among adolescents has always happened, but social media presents young users more opportunities to do so than ever before. Teenage girls are at particular risk for cyberbullying through use of social media; however, boys are not immune. In addition to the implemented techniques of face-to-face bullying, the spreading and posting of non-consensual explicit pictures is a form of cyberbullying that has gained popularity within recent years. One-quarter of teens say they have been sent explicit images they didn’t ask for, while 7% say someone has shared explicit images of them without their consent. This type of abuse, along with other forms of cyberbullying, has contributed to increased suicide rates among young adults. Additionally, these factors have also contributed to the development of increased levels of anxiety in teens and adolescents.

How to overcome Problematic Use

For most people, getting control over the usage of their digital device(s) isn’t a case of quitting cold turkey. Think of it more like going on a diet. Just as you still need to eat, you probably still need to use your device(s) for work, school, or to stay in touch with friends. Your goal should be to cut back to more healthy levels of use. Below are some practical steps to assist you in modifying your device usage:

Set goals for when you can use your device(s).For example, you might schedule use for certain times of day, or you could reward yourself with a certain amount of time on your phone once you’ve completed a homework assignment or finished a chore.
Turn off your device(s) at certain times of the day,such as when you’re driving, in a meeting, at the gym, having dinner, or playing with your kids. Don’t take your phone with you to the bathroom.
Don’t bring your device(s) to bed.The blue light emitted by the screens can disrupt your sleep if used within two hours of bedtime. Turn devices off and leave them in another room overnight to charge. Instead of reading eBooks on your phone or tablet at night, pick up a book. You’ll not only sleep better but research shows you’ll also remember more of what you’ve read.
Replace your usage of device(s) with healthier activities.If you are bored and lonely, resisting the urge to use your smartphone can be very difficult. Have a plan for other ways to fill the time, such as reading a book, chatting with friends in person.
Play the “phone stack” game.Spending time with other smartphone addicts? Play the “phone stack” game. When you’re having lunch, dinner, or drinks together, have everyone place their smartphones face down on the table. Even as the phones buzz and beep, no-one is allowed to grab their device. If someone can’t resist checking their phone, that person has to pick up the check for everyone.
Remove social media apps from your device(s)so you can only check Facebook, Twitter and the like from your computer. And remember: what you see of others on social media is rarely an accurate reflection of their lives—people exaggerate the positive aspects of their lives, brushing over the doubts and disappointments that we all experience. Spending less time comparing yourself unfavourably to these stylized representations can help to boost your mood and sense of self-worth.
Limit checks.If you compulsively check your phone every few minutes, wean yourself off by limiting your checks to once every 15 minutes. Then once every 30 minutes, then once an hour. If you need help, there are apps that can automatically limit when you’re able to access your phone.
Curb your fear of missing out.Accept that by limiting your smartphone use, you’re likely going to miss out on certain invitations, breaking news, or new gossip. There is so much information available on the Internet, it’s almost impossible to stay on top of everything, anyway. Accepting this can be liberating and help break your reliance on technology.

Helping a child or teen with problematic use of digital media and/or devices

Any parent who’s tried to drag a child or teen away from a smartphone or tablet knows how challenging it can be to separate kids from social media, messaging apps, or online games and videos. Youngsters lack the maturity to curb their smartphone use on their own, but simply confiscating the device can often backfire, creating anxiety and withdrawal symptoms in your child. Instead, there are plenty of other ways to help your child find a healthier balance:

Be a good role model. Children have a strong impulse to imitate, so it’s important you manage your own smartphone and Internet use. It’s no good asking your child to unplug at the dinner table while you’re staring at your own phone or tablet. Don’t let your own smartphone use distract from parent-child interactions.

Use apps to monitor and limit your child’s smartphone use. There are a number of apps available that can limit your child’s data usage or restrict texting and web browsing to certain times of the day. Other apps can eliminate messaging capabilities while in motion, so you can prevent your teen using a smartphone while driving.

Create “phone-free” zones. Restrict the use of smartphones or tablets to a common area of the house where you can keep an eye on your child’s activity and limit time online. Ban phones from the dinner table and bedrooms and insist they’re turned off after a certain time at night.

Encourage other interests and social activities. Get your child away from screens by exposing them to other hobbies and activities, such as team sports, Scouts, and after-school clubs. Spend time as a family unplugged.

Talk to your child about underlying issues. Compulsive smartphone use can be the sign of deeper problems. Is your child having problems fitting in? Has there been a recent major change, like a move or divorce, which is causing stress? Is your child suffering with other issues at school or home?

Get help. Teenagers often rebel against their parents, but if they hear the same information from a different authority figure, they may be more inclined to listen. Try a sports coach, doctor, or respected family friend. Don’t be afraid to seek professional counselling if you are concerned about your child’s smartphone use.

A large amount of the content of this Article was derived from the following sources:

Article contained in org entitled “Smartphone Addiction” authored by Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., Last updated: September 2020

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/addictions/smartphone-addiction.htm

Article contained in org entitled “Video Game Addiction Symptoms and Treatment” edited by Meredith Watkins, M.A., M.F.T. Last Updated: February 8, 2021

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/video-gaming-addiction