22
Wednesday, May 9, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
ADDICTION: Nature
is an antidote to
screen fixations
Continued from page 3
Unstructured time in nature
builds confidence, imagina-
tion, creativity, and a sense of
responsibility. It encourages
movement and the creation
of a solid, inner sense of self.
Spending time in nature com-
bats depression and anxiety
in all age groups, and can
relieve ADHD symptoms.
Digital media and screen-
use, on the other hand, are
directly linked to negative
outcomes.
“Research has demon-
strated a linear relationship
with social media use and
increased rates of depression
and anxiety,” says Audry Van
Houweling, founder of She
Soars Psychiatry in Sisters,
“especially among youth and
adolescents.”
In other words, the more
often someone is tapping
away on their phone or tab-
let, the more likely they are
to get the blues. Recent fMRI
brain scans show that playing
violent games causes tempo-
rary but notable physiological
changes in the brain, similar
to brain scans of teens with
sociopathic disorders.
So why do kids and
grownups alike gravitate to
our phones and screens? The
answer is simple: design.
Teams of well-paid engineers
in Silicon Valley spend their
hours developing new ways
to magnetize users’ atten-
tion—regardless of the cost
to the users’ health, relation-
ships, and civic dialogue.
Apps and devices are specifi-
cally designed to hook users
into habitually checking noti-
fications, playing games, and
dropping into “rabbitholes”
of content they didn’t plan to
view.
The pull-to-refresh mech-
anism in many apps provides
a great example of how this
technology sucks people
in. Updating a screen with
a downward-pull motion is
unnecessary with today’s
tech, but companies still
use it to increase their apps’
addictive qualities. People
respond to it like gamblers
pulling a one-armed bandit’s
lever in a casino. They like
PHOTO BY T. LEE BROWN
Trading screen time for nature time makes for happier kids — and
grownups, too.
PHOTO BY T. LEE BROWN
Aksel and Daniel Slotnaes jump over creeks and climb fallen logs at Cold Springs Campground near Sisters on
May Day. Studies show that kids who spend time in nature are smarter, more attentive, and less anxious.
pushing buttons. The engi-
neer who designed it, Lorne
Brichter, says, “I have two
kids now and I regret every
minute that I’m not paying
attention to them because my
smartphone has sucked me
in.”
Users are rewarded for
compulsive behavior with
points, “likes,” and retweets,
encouraging them to return
over and over to the apps in
question for a dopamine hit
that buzzes the brain’s plea-
sure center.
“Evidence suggests the
same dopaminergic path-
ways that are activated with
addictions such as gambling
and substance-use are acti-
vated with ongoing digital
device-use as well,” explains
Van Houweling. “This can
create emotional highs and
lows and literally withdraw-
als when digital devices are
taken away or not available.”
She adds that using digi-
tal media as a short-term
“pacifier” for children causes
long-term problems; parents
need to learn to say no. “Too
much time on digital devices
can create the need for per-
sistent mental stimulation,”
she says. “Slowing down to
listen to the teacher, have a
thoughtful conversation, be
outside, and learning to be
present can seem boring and
may create symptoms of dis-
tractibility, inattentiveness,
agitation, and restlessness.”
Many people who work
with families and kids are
worried about today’s tech-
nology, including Guy
Winch, author of “How to Fix
a Broken Heart.” Speaking on
the radio show “Note to Self,”
he recently said, “There is a
highly, highly addictive side
to social media… two ‘high-
lys’ precede the ‘addictive;’
that’s how strongly I feel
about it. When you give your
child access to that, you are
potentially setting them up
for that addiction.”
But there is hope. Winch
noted that technology is a
tool: “We can wield it in a
very positive way—if we
do it thoughtfully.” Frazzled
adults are questioning their
own nonstop device-use.
Tools are being created to
help people better manage
their social media and screen
time. Nature programming
is improving in our local
area (see also “Nature: the
Planet’s Best Classroom,”
page 23). The result may be
a healthier, brighter future
for the children of Sisters
Country and beyond.
This is Part 1 in a series.
Tell us about your experi-
ences with digital devices,
social media, and time in
nature. Email freelance
writer tiffany@plazm.com.