For those interested in how problem technology use affects adults, GGTU is hosting a webinar next Thursday June 17, 2021 from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT! Dr. Mark van der Maas, Rutgers University, will be presenting new research during this webinar titled, 'Problem technology use in adults.' For more information about the webinar, please visit the event page in this COI's content stream and register here . This webinar is accredited by the Canadian Problem Gambling Certification Board and the...

For those of you interested in the ways technology affects our brain and behaviour, I highly recommend ' The Shallows: What the internet is doing to our brains' by Nicholas Carr . A new 2020 edition of this book has been published and it summarizes a lot of the key literature and thinking on how the internet has changed our attention and memory processing. I've been thinking and writing a lot about deep, focused work - which can feel like a lost art some days when we feel like we're being...

If you missed the engaging webinar on June 17, 2021 called 'Problem technology use in adults' presented by Dr. Mark van der Maas of Rutgers University, please check it out in GGTU's archive! This webinar focuses on a recent study of problem electronic device use among Ontario adults and encourages reflection on how much time we spend on our devices. To view this webinar and accompanying slides, please visit GGTU's Trainings and Webinars archive page and select the Archive tab.

Interesting post! I will check out this book. Although I know I'm not personally ready to delete all my social media, I have consciously reduced engagement with platforms such as Facebook over time and also have felt the benefits. I have my doubts that we will see a social media-free future, especially as we navigate through a new reality where a continued or new pandemic(s) may threaten ability to gather and travel for long stretches of time. Social media provides easy ways of staying...

The Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma argues that the social media platforms we use to stay connected are making us miserable, disconnected, and potentially having a much wider impact on the socio-political landscape. The documentary received both praise for its engaging content but also received its fair share of criticism for perhaps being, at times, unbalanced in its views (and for not including individuals who have been campaigning for humane and ethical technology long before the...

@Registered Member - the arguments aren't necessarily what you might expect (like improved wellbeing, sleep, etc.) the book focusses more on the impact of those algorithms on our ability to have empathy with others or be critical of news sources (argument #3 - 'social media is making you into an a**; #4 - 'social media is undermining the truth; #9 'social media is making politics impossible'). The author is a computer scientist and futurist so I think he's really arguing about how these...

I'm wondering what some of the arguments in the book are? I'm in a weird boat, where, I never got popular social media like FaceBook growing up (despite the peer pressure to do so) but grew up with everyone around me having it. I always felt that, even a decade ago, it was odd to put up your communications with everyone to see it vs. individualized messaging or communities (like specialized forums). I felt that amongst different friend groups, family members or work colleagues - they knew me...

Introduction to Problem Technology Use is a five-week facilitated course (16 CEU’s) which provides a basic overview and knowledge on important topics related to problem technology use with a focus on problem gaming and problem social media use. Topics will include general overviews, risks, assessments, treatment options, and current issues. In the final week (December 6-10, 2021), learners will work directly with a simulated patient to practice what they have learned during the course...

On February 10, 2022, GGTU kicked off part 1 of a new webinar series called The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Mental Health and Addictions . This series will feature 3 standalone yet interconnected webinars, each taking on a different topic in relation to technology use and mental health and/or addiction-related impacts. Part 1 featured Dr. Treena Orchard (Western University) presenting engaging new content called, ‘Swipe Sesh’: Exploring the Impacts of Dating Apps on Mental Health...

The Gambling, Gaming and Technology Use (GGTU) program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health creates training products and resources for clinicians working in the area of addictions and mental health. We would love to hear from you about how we can serve your training needs better. Your participation in this survey helps us continue to deliver high-quality products and support. This survey should take approximately 5 minutes and will remain open until Thursday March 24 th at 5 p.m.

Common Sense Media have published their annual report from a large-scale, national survey of U.S teens and tweens on their media use habits. The report compares media use by teens and tweens before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within the report, the authors present some recommendations for caregivers and parents as well as policymakers about healthy and safe media use for young people. Below are some key findings from the report: Media use in tweens and teens has grown faster since the...

Gambling, Gaming and Technology Use has launched a new digital newsletter on our new GGTU website . We also have an online digital assessment survey . We want to hear from you about the topics we should be focusing on, and the types of resources and digital products we should be offering in the year ahead.

On Thursday July 21, 2022, GGTU hosted the final installment of the three-part webinar series, The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Mental Health and Addictions. Dr. Skye Barbic (UBC/Foundry) and Al Raimundo (Foundry BC) co-presented this latest webinar titled, Bridging the Digital Divide to Optimize Health Outcomes and Experiences for Youth . In this webinar, the speakers described the digital health needs of young people accessing youth mental health services and outlined current ways in...

Such a thoughtfully planned and executed series, @Registered Member. I thought they all addressed very interesting areas of our work and I particularly liked Part 3 and getting to hear about all the innovative work Foundry are doing out in BC to ensure youth can contribute to and use such an effective platform to connect with services.

In late 2021, I curated a three-part thematic series of webinars for the Gambling, Gaming and Technology Use (GGTU) program to host in 2022. This series was titled, The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Mental Health and Addictions . Each webinar invited different experts to present on a topic that demonstrates key intersections between technology use and well-being. The series was comprised of: Part 1: ‘Swipe sesh’: Exploring the impacts of dating apps on mental health among adults ,...

Thank you, Marie-Claire! Especially for your expert technical and planning support throughout. I agree about the presentation that showcased Foundry's innovative approach. New app development benefits greatly from the meaningful inclusion of those who will use such tools in their design and promotion.

This 12-minute video (Youtube) is a great, accessible summary of the research into Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). The presenter discusses the current debate surrounding the diagnosis criteria of IGD, concerns from some researchers and clinicians, along with the corresponding research papers. This is a visual, interactive way of accessing this information that can often feel quite technical and dry. We cover similar topics and discussions in our Introduction to Problem Technology Use...

The Gambling, Gaming, and Technology Use (GGTU) team creates training products and resources for clinicians working in the area of addictions and mental health. We would love to hear from you through our survey about how we can better serve your training needs. Your participation in our survey allows us to continue to deliver high-quality knowledge mobilization, learning enrichment resources, and programs. The survey should take approximately 10-15 minutes. All survey participants will be...

The problematic use of technology of children and adolescents is becoming a growing problem. Research has shown that excessive technology use predicts a variety of psychological and physical health problems. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of leisure time activities (structured and unstructured) in adolescents as a predictor of problematic technology use. Participants were 7723 adolescents, of which 55% were girls, from four Spanish-speaking countries (Chile, Spain, Mexico, and...

Interesting findings. This makes me wonder how adolescent "unstructured leisure time" has changed historically since the internet/computers entered the scene. These days, without structure, adolescents seem drawn to tech use because of how easily accessible it is, and how rewarding it can feel in the moment. I wonder whether there's something to the idea of promoting "unstructured non-tech use time". I know how thinly stretched parents can feel, and how parents can feel the urge to drive...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0adeZP6aDQw TEDtalk- Technology Addiction and What you can do about it. Ben Halpert TEDxSaintThomas (2015) Entertaining Talk about h ow society is guiding children from infancy to adolescence raised on technology- in many aspects of their lives and ways to balance technology use to prevent overuse and addiction. This is very applicable to the course as it highlights common themes that people may take for granted without considering the consequences. Ben...

Really interesting insights Sharon! I think this might be worth thinking about how society has changed. It used to be unstructured time when technology wasn't as prevalent meant kids would go outside and play with the neighbors or their friends and learn how to socialize/interact in person there. With the rise of technology, it's less effort to just socialize at home on your phone/computer for the same effect and there might be fewer kids out and about to go and socialize in person even if...

Thanks for sharing that Ted Talk. As a parent of a toddler, this hit home! It boggles my mind how tech is being promoted as a great way to engage your toddler... those potty examples were hilarious. The research on toddlers using tech is pretty clear... steer clear as much as possible. I like this presenters suggestion about starting the conversation about tech early from parents to kids, and keep it going. Parents are ultimately responsible for teaching and helping kids set boundaries with...

Thanks Sharon. I also thought his examples were funny but seriously relatable. Tech has advanced and been integrated in our lives too quickly to be able to navigate it. It is great when people makes suggestions on how to avoid problems and do harm reduction- especially for parents.