FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES
With the rise of algorithms, psychologists warned the overwhelming flood of information could have far-reaching consequences – not just for a teen’s well-being, but for their cognitive development.
Research has also shown that prolonged screen time, especially on social media, is closely linked to increased feelings of isolation and disconnection.
Dr Natalie Games, a senior clinical psychologist at Alliance Professional Counselling, said teens’ brains undergo changes around the ages of 12 to 13, where they transition from “having a go at everything” to becoming “specialists”.
“If a teenager is spending that amount of time on tech, on social media, then they’re missing out on the other things that their brain and their well-being and their growth – socially, psychologically, mentally, emotionally – need to be able to go through this stage of life with skills to be able to manage the future,” Dr Games added.
When teens are looking at several devices at once, they are unable to properly pay attention to any one thing and cannot focus, she noted.
She said: “We’re getting a dopamine hit from scrolling … But then what happens is the comedown. When we put (our devices) away, we are left with a very empty feeling, because there’s nothing we’ve accomplished.”
This has been the case for Audrey, who said while she gets a rush of excitement being plugged in, she can begin experiencing negative emotions after some time.
“I can scroll on TikTok for maybe one or two hours and then after that, I just feel kind of guilty about it. Not everything you see is quite authentic,” she said.
“You can feel bad about yourself when you see certain people, like you know, they have like everything they could possibly want but you don’t. And I feel like that’s actually affecting my mental health to a certain extent.”
