THE NEW ADDICTIONS: TEENS, THE INTERNET,

& SOCIAL MEDIA

Michael Torres, PsyD

The Bullet Points:

• The Teen Brain• Dopamine• ESSENCE = Positive Potential• MJ & Alcohol• Gaming• Social Media• Parenting

Major Brain Development

• Prefrontal Cortex (front of your head)

Prefrontal Cortex Governs1. Balances emotions

2. Regulates Body movement3. Attuned communication with self/others4. Flexibility in Thinking & Responding5. Soothes Fear6. Sense of Past, Present, & Future7. Empathy8. Morality, ethics and values9. Intuition (informed by signals from

body)

The Big Two…

10.Thinking Ahead11.Consequences

The Amygdala is the Center for Emotion/Feelings

Our Brains develop from the Back to the Front

• The Emotion/Feeling system develops before the Prefrontal Cortex.

• The Emotion/Feeling system over-rules the Prefrontal system and drives choices towards the pursuit of immediate gratification rather than long-term gains resulting in poor (feeling-based) decisions.

• What you have is a fully developed car Accelerator, but in which the Brakes have not yet been installed.

How Many of You Have….?

Why did you do it?“I felt like it.”

What were you thinking?“I don’t know.”

Why didn’t you get off the computer?“I lost track of time.”

Why didn’t you turn it-in?“I forgot.”

Let’s go out as a family?“That’s boring…”

Couldn’t you just save the game?“I had to level-up…you don’t

understand.”

This is Why Teens are 3x more likely to get injured/die from

“preventable” accidents#1 = Car Accidents#2 = Suicide#3 = Homicide

MOST TEENS SEEK NOVELTY = DOPAMINE

• Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them. Increased # of DA receptors in the adolescent brain.

Reward Circuitry

• Dopamine secretion motivates behavioral choices

• Restless with familiar, more dopamine is released during new experiences

• More dopamine available during adolescence

Brainstorm - Daniel Siegel, MD

ESSENCE of Adolescence

• ES = Emotional Spark• SE = Social Engagement• N = Novelty• CE = Creative Expression

A Useful Article to Share with You Teen About

His/her Brain

www.heysigmund.com/the-adolescent-brain-what-they-

need-to-know/

Drugs and Alcohol

- What concerns do you have?- What has worked well for you?

• MJ use before 18 is associated with: poor attention, reduced overall and verbal IQ, poor abstract reasoning and executive functioning.

• Withdrawal Syndrome = irritability, insomnia, anxiety, and aggression.

Regarding Marijuana

• Younger adolescents often take into account the normative behavior of older peers. It has been shown that adolescents who have associated with older peers face an increased risk for alcohol and other substance use than adolescents who did not associate with older peer groups (in-person or online).

Regarding Alcohol

My Experience has revealed (for any substance)…

• Regular MJ use promotes grandiosity/delusion

• Academic decline, low school motivation and attendance

• Delinquent behaviors such as personal theft, shoplifting, vandalism

• Rejection of family values and expectations

• Increases in pleasure seeking behaviors: food, sex, videogames, and other drug abuse.

• Use of rationalization, avoidance, denial, and minimization

• Increased mood instability• Poor physical health habits

Computer Gaming Addiction

Much of this literature stems from evidence from Asian countries and centers on young males. The studies suggest that when these individuals are engrossed in Internet games, certain pathways in their brains are triggered in the same direct and intense way that a drug addict’s brain is affected by a particular substance. The gaming prompts a neurological response that influences feelings of pleasure and reward (dopamine), and the result, in the extreme, is manifested as addictive behavior.

Restart Programwww.netaddictionrecovery.com

Fall City, WashingtonStatistically, approximately 10-15 percent of Internet users show signs and symptoms of gaming addiction. With approximately 280 million Internet users in the United States and growing every day, some 28 million users may be in need of some form of support, intervention, counseling or treatment for their compulsive use of video games (based on a 10% prevalence rate).

Although these ever increasing numbers may seem alarming, there are plenty of people who play video games who are not addicted, who balance their lives, interact with friends and family face-to-face, and enjoy life. 

COMPULSIVE INTERNET USE SCALE (CIUS)The following questions should be answered about

your use of the internet for private purposes.Answers can be given on a 5-point scale: (0) Never, (1) Seldom, (2) Sometimes, (3) Often, (4) Very often.1. How often do you find it difficult to stop using the internet when you are online?2. How often do you continue to use the internet despite your intention to stop?3. How often do others (e.g. partner, children, parents, friends) say you should use the internet less?4. How often do you prefer to use the internet instead of spending time with others (e.g. partner, children, parents, friends)?

Screenagers Movie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQx2X0BXgZg

0 – 1:03

FOMO?

FOMO (fear of missing out) is a real thing, and it’s adversely affecting teenagers on social media. At least that’s what the results of a new study conducted by researchers from the United Kingdom’s University of Glasgow would suggest. According to the recently presented findings, the “pressure to be available 24/7” and the perceived necessity of “responding to posts or texts immediately can increase anxiety.” And despite the fact that kids these days are more reachable and plugged in than ever, it comes at a high cost, with scientists finding feelings of anxiety around “missing out.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-9LtTtkg04

4:55 – 6:22

Being Thirteen

Survey released at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show

The Role of Compulsive Texting in Adolescents’ Academic Functioning - Bowling Green State University and

University of Michigan (2015)This study examined the relations among

frequency of texting, a specific type of problematic texting (i.e., compulsive texting), and adolescents’ academic achievement and attitudes about school. 211 Adolescents in 8th and 192 11th grades participated in this study. Results indicated that teens’ compulsive texting was significantly positively related to their frequency of texting and negatively related to their grades, school bonding, and perceived scholastic competence. It is noteworthy that the negative relation between compulsive texting and academic functioning held true only for females and not for males.

Lin LY et al. Association between social media use and depression among U.S. young adults. Depress Anxiety Jan 19, 2016

Social-Media Use and Depression: What Is the Connection?Young adults with greatest social-media use

have more depressive symptoms.Investigators have now examined depressive symptoms in a nationally representative sample of 1787 young adults (age range, 19–32) who responded to a survey on depressive symptoms and use of a wide variety of social media. Of the participants, 50% were female, 58% were white, and 56% were in a committed relationship; about two thirds had attended at least some college. Median time using social media was 61 minutes per day and 30 visits per week. Only 3% reported no social-media use. 26% of respondents reported depressive symptoms in the previous week at a level that has been linked to a high likelihood of clinical depression. Being female, having a lower education level, and being in the oldest age group (27–32 years) were associated with higher depression scores.

What are Your Rules and

Guidelines with All This?

1. Screen Time Parental Controls2. Our Pact – Parental Control &

Screen Time Mgmt3. Familoop – Parental Control &

Screen Time Monitoring4. Kidslox – Parental Control5. Family Dashboard – Parental

Controls, Screen Time & App Blocker

iPhone/iPad and Android Apps for Screen Time Supervision

CONTRACT WITH HER KIDS:BY KRISTIN VAN OGTROP (3/07/16

TIME)

• I pay for your phone, then I get to follow you on social media.• I agree never to Comment, Like, • Share or Otherwise Announce My presence. I am there but not there.• And I will keep my opinions to myself. Until I can’t.

What I recommend…

Parents must honestly assess their own technology/drug/alcohol habits/usage in order to establish legitimacy with their son/daughter and role model healthy behaviors.

All technology is Off 1 hour before bedtime.

Bedtime should be determined so that We get at least 8.5 hours sleep/night.

Desktop computers are located in public, family areas.

If concerned about laptop use, then All laptop use will be done in public locations in the house.

Cell Phones are powered-off and placed on kitchen table.

If necessary, We will use a basic cell phone for routine communications and urgent needs.

If concerned about cell phone usage, then We as a family will download a Screen time monitoring app.

If concerned about cell phone usage, then We/I will randomly check your phone’s text message and/or social media apps.

If you refuse to unlock your phone, then We/I will confiscate your phone until you Unlock it in our presence.

If we suspect drug/alcohol abuse, then we/I will drug test you.

If We/I suspect drug/alcohol abuse, then we/I will search your bedroom and belongings. If needed We/I will conduct this search with a family member/friend/coach/police officer.

If you refuse to be tested, then we will remove all privileges from your life until you do so. In addition, We/I will arrange a screening appt with a qualified professional.

http://choices.scholastic.com/story/help-i-cant-put-down-my-phone#.VxV5L9JTlcc.facebook

https://www.netaddictionrecovery.com/

https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/college-age-young-adults

http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/social-media-overuse-teen-anxiety/

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/sep/11/teens-social-media-night-risk-harm-mental-health-research?CMP=twt_gu

http://www.heysigmund.com/the-adolescent-brain-what-they-need-to-know/

http://www.sundancecanyonacademy.com/social-medias-impact-on-self-esteem-its-effects-on-teens-today-infographic/

Michael Torres, PsyDClinical PsychologistAdults, Adolescents & Consultation

1516 Oak Street #313 Alameda510-910-2640

www.drmichaeltorres.commtorrespsyd@gmail.com