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Gambling, Gaming & Technology Use Community of Interest

The Gambling, Gaming & Technology Use Community of Interest brings together addiction and mental health service providers, researchers and subject matter experts in the fields of gambling, technology/Internet use and video gaming to collaborate and share knowledge on emerging trends and clinical best practices.

Tagged With "social media"

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Article on Twitter Changing Ownership

Registered Member ·
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/twitter-elon-musk-deal-what-happens-to-twitter-now-rcna26069 How this could affect clients with problem social media use: 1) As this is something that can drastically change a major social media platform, there could be a spike in anxiety as people await the outcome of this business transaction. 2) Current speculations on what will occur if the transaction does go through is that the space will become more toxic and have more promotion of...
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Cyber bulling & Social Media

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https://www.security.org/resources/cyberbullying-facts-statistics/ This article makes me sad. Cyber bullying on media platforms amongst young people have increase with covid. -Relates to Problem Use as one may excessively use social media to be a bully or one may constantly check in fear of being bullied. - Feelings of anger, may be relevant working with someone displaying anger or aggression, getting to why if they have not disclosed the bullying - How they feel about themselves, may lead...
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Re: Social Media Addiction

Registered Member ·
This article points out many negative consequences of social media addiction that are very similar to the ones that were mentioned in the article I read. It also mentions that time spent on social media was positively related to depressive symptoms in high school students in the USA and Serbia. This is something that is particularly important to clinicians such as myself who work exclusively with youth.
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Phubbing

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Video Phubbing (Phone Snubbing) – A 3:55 minute interview with Dr. Suzanne Degges-White, Relationship Expert, Northern Illinois University by WGN Evening News (Chicago) on April 6, 2022. Accessed May 28, 2022 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyiOQq3lwgM How it relates to problem social media use Phubbing (ignoring other individuals by using a mobile phone during a face-to-face conversation) is a result of smartphone use and is noteworthy because it can impair communication between the...
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What makes TikTok so addictive?

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What Makes TikTok so Addictive?: An Analysis of the Mechanisms Underlying the World’s Latest Social Media Craze – Brown Undergraduate Journal of Public Health - This article analyzes the reasons why TikTok's popularity is blowing up. One interesting idea is that the act of swiping through your curated "for you" page can induce a 'flow-like' state for users, characterized by high-focus and productivity - The article also touches on the short length of the videos, referencing that short form...
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Re: Is Social Media Harming Us? Or Are We Harming Ourselves?

Registered Member ·
This was a very interesting watch, thanks for sharing. I like the application of mindfulness to social media use management and the first rule of unfollowing people who are not positive influences is so simple but so brilliant. I feel that often times people are afraid to unfriend or unfollow someone so they do not hurt their feelings, but the chances of that are very low if it is not someone that you have regular and positive contact with anyways!
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FOMO: How the Fear of Missing Out drives social media 'addiction'

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FOMO: How the Fear of Missing Out drives social media 'addiction' - BBC News This article highlights three people's stories when they went "cold turkey" from social media use in highschool. They all struggled to do abstain. They all went right back to their use pre-experiment. One realised how much he had used and wanted to cut back. All of the youth noted how much extra time they had, and they were able to fill that time relatively easily, but all showed Fear of missing out on experiences.
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How the Pandemic Changed Social Media

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https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/quarantine-trends-social-media The pandemic lockdowns increased time spent on social media, as well as social users world-wide. The Pandemic impacted the bets time to post as many people moved to working from home, changing the typical 9-5 workday in turn changing social media peak hours. Will social media use return to pre pandemic levels for individuals or is this increase in use here to stay?
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Social Media and the Pandemic

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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/dec/27/2021-reporting-harm-social-media-online focuses on the opportunity that social media provides amateurs to begin to craft their skills. highlights that as adults social media use becomes intrenched in how we connect with people, have careers and share moments within our lives. the disconnect between leading social media companies employees gearing the apps to make users consume more, while simultaneously not allowing their children to use ...
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Re: How the Pandemic Changed Social Media

Registered Member ·
I liked the highlighted point of the change in social media in peak hours in relation to working from home. I think it also creates a game of when do I post this content to get the most likes/attention.
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Commentary - Chinese Video Gaming Policy

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The article discusses 1) alleged ineffectiveness, 2) alleged Draconian-ness, and 3) emerging evidence of identifiable benefits. Read on if interested in these aspects of the policy! See article attached.
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How does social media impact our body image?

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https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/how-social-media-affects-body-image This article reviews multiple studies about the influence of social media on body image - both positively and negatively. Some of the positive sides of social media included when more realistic images were shown, including comparisons to "touched up" photos. It can also be helpful when individuals are part of "body positive" movements on Instagram, women feel about their bodies, but they were also in...
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Social Media and Mental Health

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https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health Social media prompts social comparison, which is damaging for people The unpredictable outcomes of social media keep people engaged due to intermittent reward pathway Missing experiences can create anxiety and depression. When people look online and see they’re excluded from an activity, it can affect thoughts and feelings, and can affect them physically.
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Re: Commentary - Chinese Video Gaming Policy

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The article discusses 1) alleged ineffectiveness, 2) alleged Draconian-ness, and 3) emerging evidence of identifiable benefits. Read if interested in these aspects of the policy. Reference: Xiao, L.Y. (2022). Reserve your judgement on "Draconian" Chinese video gaming restrictions on children. Commentary on: Draconian policy measures are unlikely to prevent disordered gaming (Colder Carras et al., 2021). Accessed June 3, 2022 at https://www.researchgate.net/p...er_Carras_et_al_2021 (pasted ...
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GGTU launches new digital newsletter

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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.
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Less Addictive Apps and the Addictive potential of Virtual Reality

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llustration: Jessica Karl While discussions around technology use are often focused on the impacts of addictive app design, a recent opinion piece by Parmy Olson highlights an emerging trend of apps that are moving away from this type of design. Instead, she discusses apps like BeReal and Wordle that are more focused on building anticipation (by requiring user engagement once a day) as opposed to compulsive checking throughout the day. She also suggests that companies like Facebook who...
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Article: TikTok Is Flooded With Health Myths. These Creators Are Pushing Back.

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This NYT article discusses the professionals who spend their time debunking health and mental health misinformation on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. We've also been seeing the role social media has played during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of people's access to information (e.g., vaccine availability announcements) and misinformation (promoting sometimes harmful treatments that aren't evidence-informed). This article left me with a few questions about the role that...
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Webinar Replay! Bridging the Digital Divide to Optimize Health Outcomes and Experiences for Youth

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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...
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Re: Turning off notifications, does it actually help?

Registered Member ·
I turned notifications off on a couple apps that I was using and I found it very helpful. In fact, I also deleted another social media app altogether and I dont feel the need to check it. I dont have a strong fear of missing out. I do notice though that these apps do their best to try and get you back, by maybe sending emails or other types of notifications to entice you to come back. I wonder about the methodology of the research that gave the results that they got.
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FREE VIRTUAL YMCA MEDIA IMPACT AND YOUTH GAMBLING WEBINAR

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The Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) with the YMCA of Greater Toronto is hosting a FREE and VIRTUAL Media Impact webinar. Below is a brief description of the webinar: How many youth were exposed to a gambling ad during lockdown? Can Twitch be used to gamble? Are influencers being used to market gambling products? The YMCA of Greater Toronto's Youth Gambling Awareness Program's (YGAP) Media Impact presentation will tackle these questions and more, in a free hour-long session. The...
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The TikTok-ification of Social Media

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Whether you use YouTube, Facebook or other social media platforms you may have noticed some changes to what and how you are viewing the content on your feeds. For example, you may be seeing more short videos being recommended on your feeds. It’s a trend that more and more social media companies are turning towards as they compete with the short-form video platform TikTok. Shorter videos allow users to see a variety of content in a shorter period of time. They also take less time to produce.
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Screen Time - effects on the social, cognitive and emotional development of children and youth

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https://informedfutures.org/wp...tive-development.pdf ; The article speaks to the effects of ‘screen time’ on the emotional, social and cognitive development of children and youth, including gaming, social media, and educational type virtual activities – both positive and negative. It mentions some emerging evidence on structural changes within the brain associated with increased use and how it relates to non-educational screen time. It mentions a factor around ‘stimulation overload’...
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Problem technology use, academic performance, and school connectedness among adolescents

Registered Member ·
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8871851/ 1. This article discuss about the problem technology use and the related effects on academic performance and student life. This article was prepared based on data collected from students. 2. The article clearly picturizes that females are more affected by excessive technology use and the resulted academic complications than male. The study also points to the fact that the connection between problem technology use and academic performance...
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Is Facebook creating "iDisorders" ?

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1. This article dated back in January 2013, focusing on the technological use of various means and media on symptomology of mood disorders and examines the impact of attitudes toward technology and multitasking in addition to tech related anxiety around the inability to check devices as frequently as desired. 2. "iDIsorders" was defined as "...the negative relationship between technology usage and psychological health", suggesting implications around heightened usage being negative. 3. In...
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Social Media Addiction

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Link to aritcle: https://www.leehealth.org/health-and-wellness/healthy-news-blog/mental-health/are-you-addicted-to-social-media -This article highlights that because social media is so new at this time, there is no official diagnosis of having an addiction to the internet or technology -The article shares relevant questions to ask if someone is at risk of developing an addiction to the internet that are straightforward for someone who does not work in any clinical realm to ask their loved...
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The social dilemma

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https://youtu.be/uaaC57tcci0 1. The film deftly tackles an underlying cause of our viral conspiracy theories, teenage mental health issues, rampant misinformation and political polarization, and makes these issues visceral, understandable, and urgent. 2. The film features compelling interviews with high-profile tech whistleblowers and innovation leaders. 3. This film is demonstrating how social media affects consumers on a personal level.
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FREE Virtual YMCA Youth Gambling Awareness Program Webinar

Registered Member ·
Hi there, I wanted to let you know about our upcoming Gambling & Media Impact webinar hosted by the Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) with the YMCA of Greater Toronto. Below is a brief description about the webinar : How many youths were exposed to a gambling ad during lockdown? Can Twitch be used to gamble? Are influencers being used to market gambling products? The YMCA of Greater Toronto's Youth Gambling Awareness Program's (YGAP) Media Impact presentation will tackle these...
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FREE Virtual YMCA Youth Gambling Awareness Program Webinar

Registered Member ·
I wanted to let you know about our upcoming Gambling and Media Literacy webinar hosted by the Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) with the YMCA of Greater Toronto. Below is a brief description about the webinar : How many youth were exposed to a gambling ad during lockdown? Can Twitch be used to gamble? Are influencers being used to market gambling products? The YMCA of Greater Toronto's Youth Gambling Awareness Program's (YGAP) Media Impact presentation will tackle these questions and...
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Launch of the SPRinG App

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Visit the Apple or Google Play app stores to download the SPRinG app or contact the study team for more information at springapp@unityhealth.to . Please feel free to share this information widely. Comments on this post will not be monitored. For any questions please contact springapp@unityhealth.to . Please note that email is not secure. Emails can be intercepted, viewed, changed or saved by others. Only send information to this address that you do not feel is sensitive.
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Dispelling Myths Around Youth Gambling

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When it comes to gambling, there are many misconceptions — and perhaps the biggest one is that youth don’t (or can’t) gamble. That’s because we often associate gambling with playing poker or blackjack in a casino. But gambling takes many different forms. In fact, 68 per cent of Ontario youth said they participated in a gambling activity in the past 12 months, according to YMCA’s Youth Gambling Awareness Program (YGAP) Youth for Youth Digital Media Awareness Campaign in 2020. YGAP defines...
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Setting Healthy Boundaries

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Youth Gambling Although they may not be of legal age to enter a casino, youth may be already engaging in gambling behavior to some degree, even from a young age — whether that’s making a bet with a rare Pokémon card or playing a claw machine game to win a prize. Gambling at any age has risks associated with it and the potential to cause harm. Some video games have elements of betting or gambling, even in skill-based games. Loot boxes are an example which typically offer players a chance to...
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IPTU Fall 2023 TEDtalk- Technology Addiction and What you can do about it

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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...
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"Tech execs protect their kids from their own products."

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https://www.fastcompany.com/90900166/tech-social-media-protection-children#:~:text=But%20even%20as%20Big%20Tech's,products%E2%80%94for%20their%20own%20kids. A colleague of mine shared with me how tech executives shield their own children from the tech products they help promote. I wanted to look for an article shedding more light on this. I think the bottom paragraph of the article was telling, the idea that these companies tout how they have "parental controls", but in reality, they take a...
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IPTU Fall 2023: Social media gets teens hooked while feeding aggression and impulsivity, and researchers think they know why

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/health...rain-nov14-1.7029406 Dr. Murthy, US Surgeon General identifies social media as an important driver in the youth mental health crisis. On average, women 18-22 in Canada 56% would be considered "clinically addicted" to their phones - use disrupts sleep, learning, relationships. This is true for about a third of men of the same age group. Changes to the brain including decreased serotonin hypothesized. This matters since there are many poor mental health...
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Re: IPTU Fall 2023: Social media gets teens hooked while feeding aggression and impulsivity, and researchers think they know why

Registered Member ·
This is an interesting outlook I hadn't previously thought of, I know sometimes people say they think gaming can lead to violence and I could see why they may think that, but I had never thought about how social media could increase aggression and violence. That is also a worryingly high number of people clinically addicted to their phones. I wonder how this legislation and accountability would look, this was a very interesting and informative article thank you.
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Digital media: Promoting healthy screen use in school-aged children and adolescents

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- finding helpful use of screens and technology to assist with learning - explored potential risks and benefits of engaging in screen time for younger people - suggests healthy management, meaningful screen use, positive modelling, and balanced, informed monitoring of screen time and behaviours are all needed. https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/digital-media
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IPTU Fall 2023: Gaming Habits Linked to Socioeconomic Backgrounds

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https://www.lboro.ac.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2023/april/gaming-habits-linked-socioeconomic-backgrounds/ - looking at high/low SES and gaming habits and rationales. - noted the social needs of both groups being fulfilled, though also looked at participation gaming over time - e.g. does it continue over longer periods or do folks "move on" from it to other roles/activities; as well as choice in games vs. "social pressure" to participate in various games. - people experiencing physical...
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Re: IPTU Fall 2023: Social media gets teens hooked while feeding aggression and impulsivity, and researchers think they know why

Registered Member ·
Interesting article. This idea of social media causing aggression is new to me. I'd be curious to hear more about this. I wonder whether solely reducing the amount of social media would reduce the potential for aggression or if there are other factors to consider. The other line in this article that rang true was: "Just because something makes you feel good doesn't mean it's good for you,"
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Smartphones, Social Media Use and and Youth Mental Health - Article

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https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/192/6/E136.full.pdf This was an article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2020. The main key points are highlighted below. I think it's helpful for me to know that there is a dose-response relationship. In our current society it's not realistic to abstain from tech use or even social media in certain cases. Helping clients determine what dose still gives them benefits but without as much harm may be a helpful approach. KEY POINTS •...
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IPTU: Fall 2023 Social Media - mental health effects

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Here’s How Social Media Affects Your Mental Health | McLean Hospital -social media platforms are addictive and are associated with depression, anxiety and physical ailments. -the possibility of a positive outcome/reward (like, positive comment) keeps users coming back to use the platform. FOMO (fear of missing out) keeps users coming back. -searching for validation on the internet can replace meaningful connections. -British study showed that decreased, disrupted, and delayed sleep were tied...
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Social Media Use Creating Brain Changes

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Article: Barry, E. (2023, January 3). Social Media Use Is Linked to Brain Changes in Teens, Research Finds. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/health/social-media-brain-adolescents.html Teens who checked social media more frequently were more sensitive to peer rewards and peer feedback In adolescence the brain wants to be with friends and peers, which may drive the use of social media Those who checked social media more frequently had more activity in areas involved in ;...
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Re: IPTU: Fall 2023 Social Media - mental health effects

Registered Member ·
This is impactful as it shows why social media can be so harmful, but at the same time how it continues to draw people back in and people feel they must continue to use it as it is expected and announcements, news and socialization all occur on social media. It is also impactful to know the younger people start using social media the larger the impacts, to try to delay use. Growing up thinking everything on social media is real and attainable could definitely skew a child's views and beliefs...
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Interplay between social media use, sleep quality, and mental health in youth: A systematic review

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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S108707922030157X
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IPTU Fall 2023- How to Break Your Social Media Addiction - YouTube

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YouTube - Thomas Frank He acknowledges benefits of social media- but suggests some tips for harm reduction. He is not an addiction expert however I like his suggestions. See full details below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGe_cG3g6kw 1. Silence/Remove notifications- Dopamine rush when you receive these. Nothing wrong with looking at apps/posts, but when looking at something in response to a notification ,you establish a craving for it, a habit so when they come in future- you will have...
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Canadians Assessment of Social Media in their lives

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https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2021003/article/00004-eng.htm This study uses the 2018 Canadian Internet Use Survey to examine reports of the negative effects individuals aged 15 to 64 experience because of their use of social networking websites or apps. Six outcomes attributed to social media use are examined: lost sleep, trouble concentrating on tasks or activities, less physical activity, feeling anxious or depressed, feeling envious of the lives of others, and feeling...
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The Effect of Social Media on Society by: Mulugeta Deribe Damota, Madda Walabu University, Bale Robe, Ethiopia

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* Social media can be just as harmful as it is helpful . Several studies indicated social media having both positive and negative outcomes. Such as socialization and communication; enhance learning opportunities and accessing health related information compared to depression, anxiety, catfishing, bullying, terrorism, and criminal activities being some of the negative sides of social media. * Social media is a helpful tool when it is used for a positive predetermined goal and should be used...
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IPTU 2023: Social media's growing impact on our lives

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Social media’s growing impact on our lives (apa.org) - Immediately this article discusses the topic of social medias affects on face-to-face relationships - Discussion on the rapid growth in social media use, especially amongst teenagers. - Discussion on social medias pros and cons
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The Effects of Social Media on Relationships | Mayurakshi Ghosal | TEDxYouth@DAA

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYl4BdBabl4 -I found this very applicable working with youth. The importance of social media in maintaining connections and the harm's it causes to youth these days. -You can see the different social platforms and the contrast on use. -New social norms that are dependent on social media platforms.
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Re: The Effects of Social Media on Relationships | Mayurakshi Ghosal | TEDxYouth@DAA

Registered Member ·
This video shows the negative impacts of social media use. Friendships for teens are developed according to "streaks" on Snap Chat. It shows that friendships are becoming less meaningful and deep. Her suggestions to decrease social media use to make build more meaningful relationships were good. They take time to implement and make a habit.
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Social Media and Mental Health - Healthy Social Media Use

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-Talks about how it is important to know when and why we are using social media and trying to avoid looking through bad news or “doom scrolling.” This can affect our mental health negatively and create feelings of loneliness. -Points out the benefits for self-help resources such as mental health education and awareness resources available. -Discusses finding a balance with social media use because there are advantages and disadvantages to using it. Setting boundaries such as time limits with...
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