Electronics and Mental Health

By: Ebubechukwu Obiora

In this day and age, electronics are everywhere. From our personal phones to our favorite video games, electronics have a major role in the lives of youth and adolescents in America. With the increased prominence and use of mobile phones, video games, and the internet in general, there are increased concerns on the role that mobile phones and video games have on the younger generation. Based on studies conducted on cell phone usage, video game effect on violent tendencies, and internet addiction, the increased active role of cell phones and video games impact the mental health of youth and adolescents, contributing to negative behavioral patterns and dependence on electronics while decreasing attentiveness.Many youth, and also adolescents, in America have constant accessibility to a cell phone of video game to play. Due to this, internet addiction is becoming more prominent and it plays a much larger role in todays time as technology continues to evolve and integrates into everyday life. It has gotten to the point that humans are now dependent on technology as it is used for “studying, playing, communicating, and socializing”(Patricia, page 1). With its vital role in everyday life, it seems inevitable that there will be those who grow addicted to the massive world inside of the internet. Video Games also brings an entire different level into the equation as they are entertaining and can be played for hours on end without the player becoming bored of the game, and this is can continue for weeks and even months on end. The power that these two have on the younger generations is alarming due to the psychological backlash it has on the mental health of American youth and adolescents.One such drawback that comes about from excessive cell phone uses is the shortening of attention span alongside the lack of “impulse control”(De Sola, page 1). This means that alongside cell phone addiction, there comes the lack of control in the lives of adolescents. They have a constant urge to check their phones for messages, social media posts, amount of likes they receive on a picture, and other things that are going on in the internet or social media. And even though cell phones are harmless physically to the body, “psychiatrists believe that mobile phone addiction is no different from any other type of addiction”(De-Sola, page 2). The brain addicted to cell phones is the same as the brain addiction to cocaine, in terms of behavioral and mental state of mind. It is a very prominent issue that is much worse that it superficially appears. It also lowers the amount of time adolescents are devoting to everyday tasks. Based on the findings of the article, “Impact of mobile phone addiction on adolescent’s life: A literature review,” 69% of Indian individuals use their cell phones in cinemas and movie theaters while 80% of Asians use their mobile phones while eating. This shows that in everyday activities, such as eating and watching movies, phones are actively being used, drawing the attention of users from such tasks. Not only this but cell phones affect a diversity of races, not just a small portion.Alongside cell phones, video games also play a role in the mental health of youth and adolescents in America. When it comes to video games, particularly violent ones, many are beginning to question its impact on the psyche of teenagers. This is due to the numerous, and tragic, school shooting incidents and the pattern of the attackers having a history playing violent video games, alongside other mental issues. As a result, there has been numerous studies on how exactly video games affect the brain and behavioral patterns. The results were meant to determine if it in fact has the negative impact that the news outlets are pushing, and to uncover if the rumors that has parents reluctant to grant their children access to these games. Though the data that was recorded in the Article, “Does excessive play of violent first-person-shooter-video- games dampen brain activity in response to emotional stimuli?,” emotional stimuli effects the brain more, for negative emotions, in individuals who actually did not play first-person-shooter- video-games. This means that the effect of negative stimuli has less of an impact on the brains of individuals who partake in violent video games as opposed to those who don’t. This lowers its impact on the individual, rather than expedites the negative emotions of the individual. With this it shows that there is a mental reaction towards video game usage that causes the brain to act opposite towards stimuli.With internet, cell phone, and video games, there is an increase in dependence on these devices in modern times. As a result there are many draw backs on the mental health of youth and adolescents in America such as diverted attention, increase in anxiety, decrease in attention span, and alteration in the way emotional stimuli is received by the brain. This is all due to the effects of electronically dependence and influence on the mind as a whole. This issue should be looked at thoroughly because the world is only becoming more and more technologically advanced, this will only spring about more and more issues and needs to be addressed immediately, before it takes over the future generations.

Work Cited

Gutiérrez, De-Sola, et al. “Cell-Phone Addiction: A Review.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 6 Oct. 2016, www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00175.

Montag, Christian, et al. “Does Excessive Play of Violent First-Person-Shooter-Video-Games Dampen Brain Activity in Response to Emotional Stimuli?” Biological Psychology, Elsevier, 4 Oct. 2011, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051111002481.

Wallace, Patricia. “Internet Addiction Disorder and Youth.” EMBO Reports, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 7 Jan. 2014, www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.1002/embr.201338222.