Smartphones: It’s Time to Confront Our Global Addiction | Dr. Justin Romano | TEDxOmaha
We are entering a new pandemic of addiction that might be the most pervasive in human history - and it might surprise you to know that you are probably influenced by it. Follow Dr. Justin Romano as he reveals how smart phones are addictive, ticking dangerously in our pocket, calling to us, delivering on tap, 24 hours a day, adapting to our needs, hacking our addictive tendencies through computer code and creating dependencies. While we may not change our habits, at least we can be aware of them. Dr. Justin Romano is a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at Creighton University. His podcast Millennial Mental Health Channel is a platform to educate the people of all ages on mental health disorders and reduce the stigma around getting help for mental health. Discussing social issues such as cell phone addiction to general education on traditional psychiatric disorders such as depression and personality disorders. His aspirations include increasing access to mental health care in rural areas, advocating for mental health equity in state and federal legislatures, and rethinking traditional medical models to improve care and outcomes. Focus area: Medicine/psychiatry. Exploring the issues of social media and increasing usage of social media platforms by youth and young adults. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
Watching this and seeing it only has 31,000 views kind of backs the concept that no one wants to face this addiction or talk about it because we are almost all dealing with it in some way.
Introspection is difficult and the majority been laid their life down or someone else's for the invisible machine they love so much. That's how much people love tech. They rather become mutes and just spy. Ai is stepping in as the parent to go to work while people become useless babies.
Well said, I completely agree.
Or…maybe YT is suppressing the video because it will cause a hit to their bottom line.
It looked interesting but I couldn't watch the guy. It's like I'm watching a comedian doing a bit about public speakers.
Sweet fella. Studied psych ok. Dint grow up with POGO: "We have found the Enemy! and it is us🙄"
Adults are addicted just as much as children. I live with a phone addict and he is 71 and it is frustrating.
This. Older folks love to jump on the bandwagon of calling Gen Z iPad babies while many of them are just as, if not more, addicted
Absolutely. Many are, you’re correct. It’s an epidemic not just among young people.
The irony in this post.
Not irony , it's true
Although, my father lost boredom since he was alone and separated from my mom, I regretted I gave my father with smartphone. And he became addicted with social media esp facebook. I thought older gens will not adjust to the tech difficulties.
My name is David Riddle, I am 71-years old and have been self-employed as an inventor, designer, and manufacturer of technical products for more than 50-years. As a technologist, I have never seen any product available to the consumer, more rapidly adopted than the "highly addictive, fully programmable, hand-held, Pavlovian device known as the smart phone"! I own an internet based marketing and sales corporation, but I do not want, or own a "smartphone", I use a flip-phone. Because of this, I've been a keen observer of how the smartphone has absolutely altered the human experience, and I believe in the future, sociologists and anthropologists will point at Steve Jobs as the "destroyer of the human mind". I also believe that any parent that provides a child with a smartphone or tablet younger than 18-years old, is committing severe child abuse! How can the human mind possibly be introspective, contemplative, imaginative, and creative when it is being bombarded with millions of highly beguiling images, sounds, and texts? I hope the Dr. Romano's video will be watched by many millions, not just thousands of views.
Thanks for that diatribe nobody's going to read
It’s not child abuse unless the parent knows it is wrong, hides it or lies about it. Sugar and cellphones have destroyed way more young lives in loving homes than the violence and addiction of troubled homes. Gen Z was the first generation that was 100% born at a time when most women had the array of choices avail to them - the first truly wanted generation is the most damaged and at a time we need them most. The solution? Less screen time and make sugar a controlled substance. Very few will agree with me on this.
There is no issues as long as there are boundaries
@@jeremywilliams9363 I read it. And I agree.
And now AI has taken over creativity we haven't any hope at all!!!
Taking my kids to school in the morning, every kid waiting for the school bus have their faces in their phones. The world is in serious trouble.
Look at the adults. Children model.
No interaction No hobbies, anger issues, no exposure to sunlight,no exercise 🌟🌟🌟 all side effects of Mobile Addiction
A cyclist nearly went straight into me last week, his face in bedded in his phone!!!
As a middle school teacher I would really appreciate a video like this that appeals directly to students. My students don’t know what dopamine is capable of. They don’t know what it is. They don’t know they are addicted.
Read smartphone dumbphone by John dicey
@@iamElon Damn Elon, wouldn't have picked you for such a varied reader, muchas gracias.
Constant cell phone usage and the addiction is real and we all know it and need to acknowledge it . I literally just received an email from my son's high school saying all of their campuses will be self free starting this year. I know the kids and maybe even some parents might complain, but I think it's bold and brilliant and I couldn't be more happier. Our kids will be better for it. Even my 16-year-old who I made a snide comment about their new policy agreed it's best for students. It's not rocket science.
As a teacher, you should have an opportunity to educate your students. I don't know if you have the ability to show your students what you want in class but I would certainly talk to the principal because this is something that starts at the top.
"My students don’t know what dopamine is capable of." If you can't explain it to them yourself that clearly means you don't know it either.
I think the inventing of the smartphone is a curse more than a blessing
I'm decided to mitigate phone addiction complete , because I'm 20yr old from India and I realized that I live better life without phone , thatswhy from tomorrow I will gift this phone to my mom who really appreciate my decision and she also demand smartphone for watching youtube videos .. guys please pray for me , most probably you read this comment when I quit so I feel your prayers from nature ❤
Bro What's the situation now
how's he gonna respond if he doesnt have a phone?
Honestly can't remember the last time I watched concert footage and didn't see upwards of 70% of the crowd more interested in the "likes" they'll receive from posting their video than they are with actually enjoying the artists in the moment
Yeah. I had a vacation in Hungary recently and went to a ballet at the opera house. Filming was prohibited and they made sure that was followed, so the crowd would be fully immersed in the events on stage. It was a special moment, in these times when everyone carries around their own entertainment device.
Everyone is looking what they are putting in their stomachs. But no one is looking what they are putting in their heads. And thats one million times more important.
nobody looks what they put into their stomachs. They just assume it's safe.
You cant trust either!
It’s very scary how much mobile phone addiction can get
The issue is more complex than we imagine, I think. Like on TikTok you've got thousands of people diagnosing themselves with ADHD and autism, when it's clear that these people are completely addicted to and absorbed by their phones/social media, which in turn has stunted their abilities to socialise and concentrate on anything for a significant length of time. There's all the political misinformation too, with misinfo/conspiracy theories about important issues such as pandemics and vaccines, subjects that can literally change the face of society in a very short space of time.
Very good points you made. People need self control, but as someone who used to be a drug addict, and I mean the bad kinds, I’m now addicted to my phone, and yah know what, when you go from shooting up random chemicals to just a phone addiction I’d say I ain’t doing so bad lol.
100%. Self diagnosis is rarely an actual diagnosis at all. Most of these ADHD/Autism people are just trying to fit in somewhere. I'm saying this as a father of 4, which includes an actual autistic child with severe behavioural and intellectual challenges.
Much of the misinformation stems directly from government and the media corporations in regards to the pandemic and MRNA therapies
Do you trust mainstream news and gov to tell you what to buy into, which so happen to be funded by those disseminating the narratives?
@@jakeamberson6675, There might also be a huge concern of misdiagnoses. With phone addiction, people's attention spans are lessened, and because of that, it can be mistaken as ADHD or some other disorder. I am probably one of those people as a matter of fact. Been diagnosed with ADD but I hold some suspicions of it. It's even more relevant because I grew up with screens, especially video games or games on computers, even at a younger age than usual.
Society has never been more in conflict with our biology as in the last two/three decades.
It's only going to get worse in the near future
This is great. So true how no one is even acknowledging this addiction. I’ve given up preaching. I just worry about myself now. Thanks Dr Justin
...it's because most refuse to see it as, or admit that it's an addiction.
Thats because there's too much money in it for big tech companies.
You can give up preaching about the dangers of smartphones to people, BUT you can still influence the ones around you to live healthier lives.
Yes, we must hold tech companies accountable, like we did with tobacco companies, to end smart phone addiction 😊
I’m vaping while commenting this and watching this video on my phone lmao
Who else is watching this while also doom scrolling through the comments? 😅
Bro I'm in the underground everyone staring at their mobile 😮
I am here lol😂
You too can "multitask"? One screen just isn't enough hey? Gotta have pokemon going on the tablet while you watch the netflix show on the TV, but don't forget zelda on the nintendo switch. All the best, mate.
I’m cleaning the bathroom
If you scroll down before click the comments tab, only the video apears.
I've recently gone back to a flip phone after having a smart phone for four years. I feel more peaceful now. ❤️
My whole family and colleges have this problem, while i just sit there without using my phone. I just like face to face talk.
Problem is no one looks up or listens long enough to do anything about it.
So true
I’ve been saying this about politics for a long time now. Comments sections filled with “We need to do something!!!!” for years with no organizing. It’s so incredibly sad.
It's rough seeing people attack comments who say they aren't addicted by saying "you're commenting on a youtube video!" Like, people can use phones and youtube with self discipline and without addiction.
People also love to blame others instead of looking at themselves
And you can acknowledge a problem while still trapped within it. As a matter of fact, there's not really anywhere else you could see a problem from, if you're outside of it, then it really isn't a problem
I just talked to my 15 years old son. Smart kid, could perfectly read at the age of 4. What I see is that he is becoming less smart every day, to put it gently. He understands this addiction. I will keep trying to explain and set the good example. I just set up my wrist watch to be used as an alarm so I can leave my phone downstairs. The phones are quite distracting. Kids are not able to focus. Their mind is not clear. They have no patience. About the big tech companies. It's not only them, it is a LOT more. What do you think the economical impact would be if we all cut the use of our phones? The capitalism does not want that. They want hard working robots, brain washed and spending their monthly salaries as fast as they come. The phone plays a very big role in that. Phone is ALL ABOUT ADVERTISING, and ADVERTISING IS ALL ABOUT MONEY, and MONEY IS ALL ABOUT CAPITALISM, and CAPITALISM IS DISTROING OUR PLANET AND OUR LIVES. And we are all together in this capitalistic washing machine. Most of us are the laundry, and few of them are pushing the buttons on the machine and programming the machine.
Don't worry, capitalism will fix this issue.
@@Luke-eo6kp Capitalism creates a sick society. Sick and perverse stimuli...
Capitalism isn't the issue my friend 😅 one look at history clears that misconception up.
Capitalism overall is a striving way to build society up. It can only be corrupt when it comes to selling instantly gratifying devices or substances. But Capitalism is still overall the most striving method of a society despite its small growing holes of corruption that can still probably be patched or fixed with change into it's system.
phone addiction literally ruined my real life.
😢 I hope things are getting better 🙏
Same
I owned a phone for about 3 months, about 5yrs ago. I simply couldn't stand it, and i can't understand how others do...maybe i missed something. I'm happier without one.
Probably you didn’t know how to use it properly.
I wish i knew how to stop using my phones. I don’t think i can live without one.
@@loucura_loucura_ you can live without a smartphone. There was life before smartphones. Theres ways around everything. You could manage with a flip phone if you wanted to
@@Python343 the only proper use of using a phone is getting addicted to it? Understood.
It’s not that simple, it’s a competitive vicious cycle between peers
We can do it, but we won’t. If it’s profitable for the system, they will simply avoid doing it. Modern smartphones were designed to steal our attention 😢
The whole Internet industry is built upon pure addiction. That is just not possible making a "controllable habit" out of it.
This is what i have been saying for some time now to family and friends. Its worse than anything we’ve ever witnessed before. It has given me great anxiety that i was taking medication for only to find that you dont need the medication if you eliminate the problem.
Most medication is like that. It only cures the effects of an ongoing problem, not the root cause.
My 12 yo is struggling with anger rooted in having screen time limits. Her peers at school don’t have these limits. She’s angry when apps and games she plays glitch out because she doesn’t want to lose her precious screen time to troubleshooting. It’s maddening.
Yikes
One of the biggest reasons I retired early was because every time I looked around everyone was playing on there cell phones. Now its somebody else's problem.
This video is so underrated
I'm starting to feel it. Social media internet everything. Kids will probably never feel this cuz they're so glued into it that they don't understand what's happening. I'm cutting back my internet use more than 50% because it leaves a negative scar on my brain.
Dr. Justin, you're a wonderful speaker. Thank you for raising awareness of this topic.
Thank you for your kind words. :)
Really because I found it really melodramatic and patronizing. Had me grimacing the whole time.
@@apathyguy8338totally agree, wish I had a filter to make his voice sound like a normal person talking.
When I have traveled on public transport in London, UK sometimes you can see the whole tube carriage on their smart phone. People these days are not aware of their surroundings when they are out in public, its like they are smartphone zombies, they really need to work on reducing the amount of time they are glued to their screens and appreciate the world around them.
I am saying this for so long and people don’t take me seriously!! I tell people I’m addicted and it ends up being joked about. At therapy I talk about it and he connects it to my childhood problems but I’m aware of my issues and this feels slightly unconnected, like a bit different! Idk! I think you are dead right about it all. Also my continuous tiredness and restless sleep kicked in slowly with my use of my I phone. I have definitely given up hobbies for it!!! Thank you for this!
I have never owned a cell phone, but I see what this young man is talking about every day all around me.
So you’re watching this on your laptop/pc?
@@nothinglastsforever0000 PC, yes.
@@nacarreira777 youtube is also addictive imo
@@nothinglastsforever0000 I can vouch for that
@@nothinglastsforever0000As Addictive as TV
The problem is they've made it impossible to live without them. I can only pay my rent online. I pay my other bills online also. I shop online as there is no grocery store anymore where I live. Just try to find a payphone. I don't know the answer.
Great speaker , needed and educative talk. This issue needs a lot more attention !
Why are some people, like me, not enticed by phones like others? I use around 5 minutes per day. The buzz and dings just annoy me, usually I keep my phone in another room to avoid it. I don't make any conscious effort to avoid it, I just have no desire to use it.
I turned off all the youtube and gmail notifications. If I want to check something on youtube I'll do it myself there is no need for a phone to break my schedule.
How old are you?
mid 30s@@nychris2258
@@nychris225819 years old. And I am in the same situation he described.
If i didnt have a business which requires me to have attention to my phone i would use it way less.
Our society is extremely sick. Phones used to be mounted on walls. Now people can't live without the cell phone addiction in one hand at all times.
You are part of the problem too
Even social media used to exist in a fixed place, on a computer that people couldn't put in their pocket. That used to make social media an "opt-in" situation where by default we were offline. Smartphones made social media "opt-out" where by default we are online 24/7.
Talking about this is so important...people don't usually believe me when I tell them I feel addicted to my phone ..❤
But are you holding yourself accountable and taking steps to decrease your screen time? Because just acknowledging is not enough
Guess what? Your phone knows so much about you and what it can do to add on the burden. That's the love you pay for monthly, for free, and is rewarded in real life with civil law suits.
Ditto, they think I'm crazy.
I'm glad I'm old. I don't want to be around when this addiction becomes a full blown crisis. You can't duck this one.
Finally someone talked about it ! We are in crisis mood ! And that crisis is smart phone addiction
Agreed...schools are scary .EVERYWHERE you look.. a kid is on a cell phone..many lack the important skills they will need in the future and don't put effort into their school work
Thank you Dr. And TED Team 🙏, and it's not overwhelming, it's essential, thank you.
Glad I came across this video.....currently re-examining my own addiction to the internet........
I like the mobile phone movement. If 30% takes the simcard out of the smartphone and put it in a old fashioned mobile phone we buy, we won't be forced to let our smartphone become our identity. Although they try to have 100% of the people having a smartphone worldwide. The smartphone can still be used for photos, videos, music etc.
10 day ago I started my digital detox (spending less than 1 hour a day using internet). I can clearly see a difference in my drive and my mental clarity
Mental Health Education needs to become a part of our education system. It's become an eye opening experience for me lately to understand the dopamine reward system and how it's impacted by the things we do every day.
I know it has changed education and not for the better. I saw the intrusion of phones and then smartphones into the classroom over my years as a high school teacher. It is definitely an addiction.
The trouble is, the teachers are addicted too. And no teachers’ education course even mentions it.
LOUDER!!!!
Most of the time in developing an app is not used for coding but for designing methods and rewards that releases more dopamine and make you stay in that app for long .
This is a major topic to look into and focus on. Appreciate this talk.
Is it the phone overall or social media more? Meaning, if we talk about dopamine we are talking about pleasure and rewarding, the excitement of getting or achieving something, but if your working through emails and solving situations at work, now schools send homework through apps so everything seems to be contributing to a forced used of a phone, are we getting dopamine hits if we work through emails???
I believe people who are addicted to the phone also want instant gratification. It would be difficult for them to watch this talk in a single way. No doubt why this talk has very few views.
This guy spitting the truth 👍
This is absolutely brilliant, right on point, I became aware of this myself and reconfigured my phone to the way it’s layed out to notifications to how much I use it etc. It has a direct correlation to our brains and can affect how we think and feel about things, I’ve also figured out how to reduce my anxiety, depression and allergies by configuring my phone correctly. All in all the less time spent on these things the better, I feel it makes society lazier, less socially active and responsive to things in the real world differently. We need to reshape our society more back to the natural world because most of the time we’re living in this digital matrix that doesn’t really exist and that’s sad. The world was natural in the beginning for a reason, let’s try and get back to it.
His voice is soothing
You can think of it this way. A smartphone is a weapon. And it's pointed at you. Protect your mind.
It is I agree, I've never had a full on panic attack from partying but I had one from social media.
Wow…. He’s an amazing speaker….. so much hit home. Really makes me want to change ….
Dear Dr. Justin Romano, they way you delivery your speech is amazing, it is mesmerising listening that you arrange your speech into context and elaborating it one by one. Time pass by, just like that. Thank you.
Love this video. Made it a favourite and sharing it with everyone I know. For those in the thralls of addiction, may I suggest a course of action. Wait until your vacation and travel somewhere nice. Leave emergency number for work and only check that at night. Leave all Smartphones, Tables, Laptops in Hotel Room. DO NOT LOOK AT THEM. The first two or three days are going to be rough, but by the end of the week you are going to feel totally liberated. The addiction is real folks. The narrator is even understating the problem. It is destroying us.
The addiction is so bad that they bring the dealer with them on vacation. No need to answer the phone when the one who got It is laid up giggling and plotting. And it's sooooo many of those than not. Nobody wants to really address the real issue because it includes their active participation being exposed.
Agree , im working on that now, thanks
I feel like my phone addiction is hopeless. People don’t take it seriously so there is no real help. It’s an embarrassing thing to admit.
it's scary to see what the new generation glued to the screen phone lacking physical, mental, and emotional development will build as the new world... my heart weeps
Ban ALL social media for minors.. this will seriously help.
This is good. There should be an age restriction of 18
Bans, unfortunately, do the opposite of their intentions.
@@smallstudiodesignmake it illegal
Who will enforce the ban? There are so many ways to get around it. And who will be liable? The parents? Well, that wouldn’t be fair in all cases. What about the kids? What are you going to do, fine or imprison a kid? And what about the companies? They don’t have the capability to monitor every single user like that without being massively intrusive and Orwellian. Unless there is a strongly reinforced social norm about age and social media, I don’t think we’ll ever get out of this situation. Plus, most adults are addicted to social media. Adults addicted to social media telling kids they can’t use social media has as much weight as a drunk telling people not to drink.
that's so naive
I spend the first week of every school year explaining dopamine, phone addiction, and what it does to their focus throughout the day (I teach senior English) The effect lasts one week before they are glued to their screens again.
Is there a book that provides the same type of information you teach your students?
Watching this on my smartphone while wishing I had an alternative.
You do. A cellphone with talk and text only.
@@Brian-rs4ug It’s my only internet source at home. I use it for bills, banking, email, and medical stuff. I really don’t want home wifi or to have to go to the library at inconvenient hours. What’s working for me currently is to turn off all notifications and delete all but the necessary apps. Big improvement!!!
The best video I have ever seen online 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
It saddens me to see a whole family sitting in a restaurant, present, but not present, all sat on their smartphones. Similarly, phone zombies stepping off the pavement in traffic, unable to divert their gaze from whatever fluff they’re looking at on their phone. What on earth is so fascinating? Surely not Facebook or KandyKrush? I get ridiculed for no longer using a smartphone - how will I bank, buy stuff, navigate through a city or message my friends. Well, somehow I manage just fine……however, I don’t know for how long. I’ve already seen older folk excluded from segments of society simply because they can’t use apps, smartphones, or simply don’t want to use them.
This is such an immense achievement of technology (smartphones/hypermedia/communication/hyper connectivity) , yet potentially a greater threat/challenge for society, if not taken seriously. ⚠️✨👁️👁️✨🙏
I believe social media was just alright (except news outlets on these apps) until TikTok came which then brought IG Reels and it just went overboard with usage, content creation and cringe.
When I was young the few social media websites we had were actually used in a social way. Everything I am using now doesn't help me connect in a "social" way. It's an illusion that creates the feeling being connected with others. Capitalism and psychology combined in a nutshell.
Instagram before reels was SO MUCH better 😢
So true. Everywhere I go, I see people glued to their phone.
The hardest part is when you give it up, everybody you bump into in public is addicted as well so you end up feeling just as alone
Of the forty-three ted talks I've watched today, this one hits the closest to home.
😂
Thank you for speaking out about this. I think you are spot on. I completely agree that a huge problem with it is that it is socially acceptable. I hope that changes in people see it more the way they see tobacco now. I'm a young mom and I've been struggling with using my phone way too much, and I appreciate this information.
Dr Justin is a really good speaker and really knowledgeable his way of telling is eye catching God bless him for providing such valuable information 🙏 🙏
We definately have to make tech companies accountable
We also have to make ourselves accountable
There's a personal responsiblity as well.
@@kylepotts3751No, we don't, our will power is useless against stuff specifically designed for that by the biggest geniuses of the world.
just as in capitalism the consumer is as much to blame as the producer.... too much of anything makes you an addict. and yes these companies most of them at least are no good they operate for greed not for what is good....its about that bottom line ...a race to the bottom in quality... of everything. let's value life again ...put down the cell phone and value community over money.
Really? Are they holding a gun to your head forcing you to use your phone.? Smh
Love that you offered solid ideas for the tech companies to be good guys instead of bad guys.
It’s too sad that parents are giving tablets or cellphones to the kids just to let them way of bothering them
Thank you for this!
We need this handled on the government lvl and restrict manipulative tactics used to design products
Well we used to watch tv _ read magazines - use cookbooks - yellow Pages - address books. - photo albums - read books - played cards or board games- colored in coloring books - drew - knitted - callled friend - etc
Yes and they had their dopamine effect..I use my smartphone for knowledge.. I love it as it has made life easier to tolerate,and everyone wants to flee from reality be it with work or food.. That's is why their people who rather read a book than sit with their thoughts... We are all trying to escape reality
His voice is a soothing balm. ❤
Hands-down the most important video at the moment in our lifetime…
Simple question: Aside from the person themselves realizing the addiction, how would something like this be controlled? Keep in mind that prohibition never works... This is the challenge...
It can't, the Genie is out the bottle
I appreciate it. Thank you.
And we are glued to KZhead streaming. We are in serious troubles with these tech addictions. I am now starting minimalist handling of my smartphones, iPads and laptop computer. And reduced my apps consumption.
Once I saw a talk that was similar to this one. It´s true, it´s an addiction. Therefore, we should treat it ike that. There´s no way we can 'control ourselves'. We just have to get rid of it, or the addiction is back. The lady (also a ted talk) was fine without a digital life, but now she was trying to came back to it only to meaningful things and she said that it was like nothing happened, similar to the addiction she had before. So the solution is get clear for good. However, how we are going to do that if the system require us to have this devices in order to fulfill many daily life tasks.
So true!!! In the UK most gyms now have QR code entry only……… high street banks closing everywhere……pushing online banking on to people who don’t want to use this method……it will just get worse and worse 😢
my opinion: device use has to be understood with its context. behind considering device use, we need to review our education system, financial system, social norms and values of success and failure, self image, self identity, etc etc. phone on its own is a tool. a powerful tool. what drives the users...is the whole society and all that it has built.
This is so educational and helpful. Unfortunately, I am watching this on the mobile phone 😢
Never tell crackheads in denial that they’re crackheads
Im 63 and worked physically hard, been there and done that throughout my lifetime. Ive only become crippled recently and found my phone, tablet be a wonderful thing that stops me from going crazy. Im addicted to my phone and very happy.
There's this thing made of paper, that you can hold in your hand and read. You know, might want to give it a try as an alternative.
@razvandavid1510 There's plenty of reading available throughout the internet. It's just not watching videos. I spent plenty of time in libraries throughout my life. There's a thing I described called being crippled. This makes it hard to assess anything, including this "paper" you speak of, and having to reply to others for your needs becomes bothersome for all involved. But thanks for your helpful advice.
This message deserves to be more widespread!
Thank you so much for this!
I was a kids teacher before 2007 (first smartphone debut). It is not just anedoctal evidence. A kid with real ADHD was rare to come accross back then. Maybe 1 in 500. Today, I teach small classes of 8 pupils max (private school) and at least 2 out of 8 are certified ADHD. And after covid lockdown, well, I can testify to no longer having a single kid able to sit for longer than 2 minutes. Have had to ditch chairs, let them sit on the floor on cushions and allow them to move their legs and spin, as long as they manage to keep focused and silent for a little while. Some kids are walking testimonies to the irreversible damage that early hyperstimulation has had on them. They actually wish they could calm down, not have crazy legs and feet with a mind of their own, they sometimes even feel bad for not being able to pay attention. But for the most part, even when they enjoy games, dynamic classes, the works, they can't control themselves, wait, control urges and impulses, control their own body... It is super sad and tragic.
Most powerful quote from my side to quite smartphone for young generation -- Remember that your parents struggle so much in the past and still just for your bright future so you should quit phone if you think this will harm your brain day by day , Transfer your addiction to another addiction such as gym , involve in outdoor activities etc , best of luck 🎉
Many solid points. Tho I can't understand how ppl can have notification sounds on.
"hold the tech companies accountable" is what should be happening
You'd greatly benefit from exploring "A Life Unplugged: Reclaiming Reality in a Digital Age" by Theodore Blazel on this matter. It left a significant impression on me.
great speach full of truths the world must wake up if it wants to get its life back
All so true and I’m watching this video on my smart phone.
The problem is that the people are more addicted to things that destroy them rather than the ones that help them.. So there is more money to be made from things that make them addicted, rather than on things that help them develop.