Tagged With "problem social media use"
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Too much screen time for the kids? Grandparents may also be complicit
Grandparents have long been associated with letting their grandchildren do things their parents would never permit. Candy. Extended bedtime. Too much television. Carefree fun. They like to spoil their grandchildren. A new study by Rutgers and other researchers finds that today's grandparents are still true to their traditional fun-loving image -- allowing their grandchildren, while under their supervision, to spend about half of their time on a mobile phone, tablet, computer or TV. The study...
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Social media, but not video games, linked to depression in teens, according to Montreal study
Screen time — and social media in particular — is linked to an increase in depressive symptoms in teenagers, according to a new study by researchers at Montreal's Sainte-Justine Hospital. Conrod and her colleague, Elroy Boers, found that the increased symptoms of depression are linked to being active on platforms such as Instagram, where teens are more likely to compare their lives to glitzy images in their feeds. The most surprising finding for Boers was that time spent playing video games...
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ESports: 16-year-old Fortnite video game world champ wins $3M
This past weekend, the world's largest Fortnite esports tournament took place at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. The tournament, where qualifying gamers compete to get the most points in the Fortnite video game in front of both in-person and online audiences, is one of many esports tournaments that take place annually. At this particular tournament, there was $30 million USD in cash prizes. The winner, a 16 year old gamer, took home a $3 million USD prize, while the second place winner...
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Adult Problem Gambling Evidence-informed Web Content
Just in case you haven't heard, we recently posted a new evidence-informed web section on adult problem gambling . Learn about problem gambling in adults aged 18 years of age and older, the latest research evidence and tips for applying the evidence in your clinical practice. This is part of our evidence-informed practice web content on a variety of topics related to problem gambling and technology use. To read more, visit: https://learn.problemgambling.ca/eip
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Registration is open for Responsible Gambling Council's Discovery Conference 2020
RGC Discovery Conference is coming up in Toronto from April 14-18, 2020. This year's theme is " From Forward Thinking to Giant Leaps ". A few of the highlighted sessions include: RG ROI: Sustainability meets Social Responsibility: The industry’s leaders, from multiple jurisdictions, will share program measurement insights and outcomes. Learn about the value of evidence at the organizational level, what challenges and successes they have had, and how RG improves business sustainability and...
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Panicking About Your Kids Phones? New Research Says Don’t
A growing number of academics are challenging assumptions about the negative effects of social media and smartphones on children. SAN FRANCISCO — It has become common wisdom that too much time spent on smartphones and social media is responsible for a recent spike in anxiety, depression and other mental health problems, especially among teenagers. But a growing number of academic researchers have produced studies that suggest the common wisdom is wrong. The latest research, published on...
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Re: Teens in Urban Regions Are More Likely To Experience Problem Video Gaming
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, @Registered Member. This is based on the results of one article, so it may be possible that other studies looking at the differences in problem video gaming between teens in urban and rurals regions could yield different results depending on the region, access to technology and offline activities available, among many factors. And thanks @Registered Member, I agree that it would be vital to educate students (and parents/guardians) about gambling, video...
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Re: Teens in Urban Regions Are More Likely To Experience Problem Video Gaming
Great question @Registered Member. I wonder as gaming and smart phone use get more recognition, there will be more references in pop culture, which will in turn bring more awareness to the issues. Just this month in GQ magazine, there was an article on cutting back on smart phone use that included several practical strategies including turning your phone to grey scale. Apparently seeing apps/pictures/games etc in grey scale is less appealing and people were found to reduce their phone screen...
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Re: How mental illness is discussed on the internet
There are so many horrible things and misinformation on the internet regarding mental health and addictions. In a sea of confusion, it's hard to find the truth. I think it's critical for those of us working in this field to stop using jargon and psychobabble to reach the general population. People are looking for credible information that they can understand and share on social media. I saw a "problem solving" cartoon the other day that showed someone who hung himself and the other person...
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Re: ADHD study links teens' symptoms with digital media use
I'm happy to share my experience, Suzie. It's a long story (I actually wrote a book about it). I did see my son exhibit ADHD symptoms during his worst crisis period with video gaming addiction and we can talk about that. How about we speak over the phone rather than on this forum. Please email me ar ElaineUskoski@gmail.com and we'll set up a time to talk that works for both of us.
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Re: How mental illness is discussed on the internet
Alison, That is a horrific image that was posted on FB. I can't believe that nothing was done even after you notified FB. It's interesting that those platforms (ie FB and IG) will remove and mark as inappropriate a picture of a woman breast feeding her child but not what you reported. I was listening to a podcast where people who have diagnosed OCD talked about their experiences, shared parts of their daily lives that have been impacted by their OCD and talked about how hurtful it is when...
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Re: Cashing in on Mental Health?
This is a good article! Thanks Howie. CAMH has also advocated for closing hours and to not allow casinos to stay open for 24 hours. We have some other policy statements available here: https://learn.problemgambling.ca/policy
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Re: Inventory of Gambling Situations mobile app now available
That's good to hear! This is a great tool for identifying situations that can lead to gambling. If you work with people with gambling problems, you should check out the webinar mentioned above.
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Re: 60 minutes interview
This is so critical to learn. Technology has been moving at a rate that has left us far behind in our understanding of its impact on our children's brains.
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Re: 60 minutes interview
I've always loved this debate! I've always been pro-screen time but as Twenge states in the article, "it should be a tool you use. Not a tool that uses you." There are a few arguments I want to make here - having worked with children with developmental disabilities, I've seen first hand the benefits of using iPADs. Whether it be for learning receptive-identifying skills, developing fine/gross-motor skills, using video modeling to teach tasks, or tacting responses, digital applications make...
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Re: The first long-term study on how screen time affects children's brains
It will be interesting to see if they control for things like income and other social determinants of health. I have a sense that it might be more likely for parents with fewer resources to use the phone/TV as a coping strategy, especially if they don't have as much support as other more affluent parents.
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Re: The first long-term study on how screen time affects children's brains
Hi Nimira, You make an excellent point. Another thing to consider, on the opposite spectrum, is that many middle class to upper class schools now utilize tablets and laptops as part of the school curriculum. Does the content matter? Or is it just screen time. I wonder if the added family resources outside of school, that may support vacations, hobbies and sports (events away from screen time) and resources that support enhanced learning, is large enough to combat the effects of increased...
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Re: The first long-term study on how screen time affects children's brains
I was just about to say that Aaron! Content matters! This has been an ongoing debate and I'm afraid I'm on the pro-screen time. I find these studies skewed... "If you give a child an app where they play with virtual Legos, virtual blocks, and stack them, and then put real blocks in front of them, they start all over," Why would you test block-building capacity and say this skill isn't transferable when using real blocks? Seems pretty obvious. I'm sure if you tested for non gross motor skills...
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Re: Bell Let's Talk - part of the problem?
I really don't think there is much substance to this article. Screen time, social media and all-the-time internet access is the reality of today. Not everyone abuses or is negatively affected by these mediums just as not every person who drinks is addicted to alcohol. I agree that there does seem to be some sort of shallowness to the campaign but it does get people talking. Moreover, I agree with the possible negative effects of these new communication mediums. However, it is not as if this...
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Re: Bell Let's Talk - part of the problem?
I completely agree Aaron! Bell is not to blame for mental health prevalence, stigma, and or self-esteem issues. It is merely a medium, as you put, a vessel by which content is delivered. People like to make the argument that perhaps Bell is enabling mental health issues but perhaps it is also enabling change - which is exactly the purpose of the BellLetsTalk campaign. For a campaign that brought in $7.2M in grants (800k being put towards Indigenous communities), not to mention the level of...
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Re: Bell Let's Talk - part of the problem?
I echo a lot of what has been said by Aaron and Michelle above. Pointing the finger at a company like Bell without looking at the wider social structures (hyper-capitalism, an increasingly digital world, the shift towards the singularity of human/tech interaction) does miss the mark in my opinion. I actually studied smartphone dependency/addiction for my MSc thesis and do very much think that we're still figuring out that 'sweet spot' between tech being beneficial or detrimental to our...
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Re: Data show no evidence that teens' social media use predicts depression over time
I recently had a discussion with my father about the effects of social media and online immersion. We attempted to discuss whether or not this truly was a turning point in human history; a medium which will alter the human condition forever. I felt hesitant to oblige to such a strong prediction. As Steven Pinker mentioned in his book "The Better Angels of Our Nature", the printing press and the resulting flurry of reading material, was interpreted at the time as a scourge within the younger...
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Re: Data show no evidence that teens' social media use predicts depression over time
Aaron, I think you're right in that nothing is ever purely positive or negative. Interestingly, a lot of the discussion around social media use come from a place of privilege. I often think about this tweet (and link) from the Pew Research Center: "80% of blacks say social media highlight important issues that might not get a lot of attention otherwise; the same share of whites say these sites distract from more important issues https:// pewrsr.ch/2zw872s "
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Re: Data show no evidence that teens' social media use predicts depression over time
Hi Simon, That is a very interesting point, one of which I had not thought of before. Thank you for bringing that to my attention
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Re: Article: Ways Casinos can Attract Younger Generations of Slot Players
I'm not surprised -- those of us trying to help people with gambling problems face an uphill battle in terms of public buy-in (for lack of a better term). At this point in history, problem gambling isn't perceived as being as problematic as substance addiction. Also, as far as I know, for-profit businesses or government agencies (like the OLG) have a lot more money and regulatory leeway to advertise their products (i.e., casinos), compared to non-profits which are staffed by regulated...
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Re: Gambling for Shoes?
I am shaking my head over this one. As gambling is defined as “risking money or something of value on the outcome of an event involving chance when the probability of winning or losing is less than certain”. I would consider this ‘gambling’. Would this fall under the pervue of OLG or AGCO for follow-up? Interesting this article (referenced in the first article) speaks to the game being rigged. If it is proven to be rigged, I wonder about the fall-out, if any, for the gaming industry?
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Re: Gambling for Shoes?
Interesting for sure. I would call it a form of "recreational gambling" although $5 a pop seems very high. I agree it could become a potentially risky activity for people who are more vulnerable - quite a few in Queen West!
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Re: Gambling for Shoes?
Thanks for sharing the article about the lawsuit @Registered Member. It will be interesting to see whether the game has some element of skill, and whether the advertisements about it were truthful. I agree with both @Registered Member and @Registered Member that this is a form of unregulated gambling. I find it interesting how forms of gambling evolve over time and how they are now popping up outside of casinos.
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Re: Sit less, play more: WHO wades in on screen time use for children
Since we are just starting to understand the impacts of screen time on youth, it is likely difficult to come up with evidence-based universal recommendations for screen time. However, in addition to the time spent using screens, I think it is also important to consider what the screen is being used for (e.g., social media, educational games, video gaming, etc.) and like you mentioned, ensure youth balance screen time with physical activity.
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Re: Sleep problems in teenagers reversed in just one week by limiting screen use
Might be worth investigating what else the teens are doing in their newly found 4 hours of time not sitting in front of a screen. If they are exercising, that might be the reason they are sleeping better, rather than blue light avoidance.
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Re: Gambling and Gaming Harms: Ontario Professional Development Forum
@Alison Benedict and @Elaine Uskoski - I enjoyed both the Current Trends in Youth Gambling, Gaming, Technology Use and Cannabis panel as well as the Working Across Sectors to Improve Access to Gambling Treatment for Diverse Populations breakout session. I honestly learned so much from both of your talks and want to thank you for sharing your personal experience with us. Another part of the forum that I enjoyed was meeting everyone at our booth during the first day. It is always nice to hear...
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Re: Blog: A Health Communication Campaign to Address Gambling Among College Students
Thanks Tiffany! Interesting blog. Really hits home the need to: 1. Develop different communications for different needs/audiences (i.e. some featuring slot machines and others sports betting); and 2. The importance of involving the target audience in the design, testing and evaluation of the communication strategy in order to minimize potential unintended negative consequences.
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Re: Internet and gaming addiction – New research
"In their article in Addictive Behaviors , a team from the University of California in the US looked at 27 studies on IGD published between 1998 and 2016, to determine whether the disorder is indeed becoming more prevalent. The average across all years was 4.7%, and the results showed it has not increased significantly in the last two decades." I have not read the article in Addictive Behaviors yet but that is a surprising finding. It makes me wonder about the screening...
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Re: ADHD study links teens' symptoms with digital media use
Great article, Howie. And thanks for shedding light on your personal experiences, Elaine. It's interesting because most of the theories I've heard concerning the link between ADHD and digital media use focus on how the symptoms of ADHD (e.g., inattentiveness, impulsivity, etc.) put a person at risk for developing problematic technology use as an unhealthy way of coping with/expressing these symptoms. However, in your son's case, it appears that his video gaming preceded his ADHD symptoms.
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Re: Increases in technology use among Ontario students
Thanks for sharing, Matt! I just noticed the release announcement earlier this morning too. Some interesting findings include: One-in-five (20%) students spend five hours or more on social media daily, which is significantly higher in 2015 (16%) and 2013 (11%). 30% of secondary school students spend five hours or more per day on electronic devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, gaming consoles) recreationally. 23% of students play video games daily or almost daily. 9% of students...
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Re: Increases in technology use among Ontario students
I read these results this morning too and found them shocking. Especially the one in three students spending 5 hours or more a day on electronic devices, and that's only in their spare time (not including school!). I worry about the long term implications of this for our children's social and emotional well-being as adults.
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Re: Gambling, Gaming, and Technology Use Knowledge Exchange
Thank you for posting this article, Elaine! I think it is relevant food for thought for both parents and professionals. I especially like that she talks about the importance of ruling out and addressing electronics in mental health assessments. In the article, Dr. Dunkerley also says, “ Time and again, I’ve realized that regardless of whether there exists any “true” underlying diagnoses, successfully treating a child with mood dysregulation today requires methodically eliminating all...
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Re: is the news the new FOMO?
I was a bit taken back as well Rebecca, given the amlount of trolling that people do. I have never commented on an online story before, preferring to talk about what I have read in person, with family and friends. i have though, in my life a few people who have engaged in "twitter wars" with others over heated topics. There was most definitely an energy that came from that. Can't say that they were happier though.... Keep us posted about your commenting!
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Re: is the news the new FOMO?
Thanks for sharing this, Beth. This is a really interesting perspective and one that could play a role in harm reduction, as you mentioned. I think more research is needed to understand the interplay between social media and mental health. I came across a news article entitled "Does social media actually decrease anxiety?" that was recently featured in the Globe and Mail and discusses some of the different findings in the research about whether social media decreases or increases anxiety,...
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Re: Study on free to play gambling apps and in-venue gambling from Australia
Thanks for sharing this article, Beth! There are a lot of important points here about the impacts of social casino games on youth and young adults and their later involvement in gambling. To add to this, there was a paper that was published last year in our Journal of Gambling Issues by authors Michael Wohl and colleagues that discussed the good, the bad and the ugly of the relationship between social casino gaming and gambling . The authors discussed how social casino games could...
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Re: Screen time and ADHD
Thank you for sharing this link, Lisa. I read Leonard Sax's work as a young mom and he helped me to understand what raising healthy boys would look like. My son, Jake was diagnosed with ADHD at age 19 while in mid crisis with a gaming addiction. At the time, I really questioned the diagnosis, as I had him tested when he was much younger and this was not found. As I read Gabor Mate's work in his book, Scattered Minds, I did see that Jake was exhibiting symptoms of ADHD. He was put on a...
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Re: Study on free to play gambling apps and in-venue gambling from Australia
Great question Tiffany! As a clinician, I would be very cautious and would want to explore how and why someone might be using theses games in a harm reduction way. Many years ago, I had a client who decided to abstain from drinking beer and drink "near beer" or dealcolized beer instead. Upon reflection after a few weeks of doing this, she found that she was drinking the "near beer" in the same amount, for the same reasons and in the same pattern that she had previously been drinking beer. In...