A more disturbing trend that appears to be afoot is that smart phones and other electronic devices seemto be eroding wonder and interest in the environment around us. As with some of my comments in this particular blog series, an important caveat is that there has been little research on this phenomenon. That said, I think many of us have probably observed children and teens glued to their devices on walks, during hikes, at beautiful beaches, while watching soccer games in person (even when it’s their own team), and so on.
In an article in the Vancouver Sun, published on September 2nd, 2016, high school counsellor Calvin White wrote, “There is also a looming issue in terms of kids feeling at ease relating to and exploring the external world around them. On field trips, instead of a “Wow!” at an opulent opera hall, a sublime jazz concert, an avenue of grand architecture, or stunning natural beauty, there is more often a muted, “Yeah, it’s OK. ”
Yet, if you listen to youth talking about games or apps, they often are bubbling over with excitement. Further, I have observed that many children seem to have lost (or perhaps never fully developed) the capacity to play in the absence of electronics. Being a parent, I’ve observed many playdates in which the children seem to give lip service to regular, old-fashioned play, while they wait desperately for the time when they are allowed to turn on their devices. And, how can we blame them? The highly stimulating images and sounds, complex games that give them a sense of mastery and control, and the related social bonding experiences are awfully hard to compete with. What troubles me as both a parent and a psychologist is that there does not seem to be much concern about these issues among the agencies or organizations that could help to mitigate the downsides of electronics use among youth. Again referring to Calvin White’s excellent article, it seems as if schools are unwilling to implement reasonable restrictions on smart phones are other devices, out of concern that parents will be displeased. Apparently, it is normative these days for youth to remain in regular contact with their parents throughout the school day via text or phone calls. While one could imagine this being an example of strong attachment to parents and the presence of a secure base, is all of this contact really necessary? On the one or two occasions on which I had to communicate with my parents during school (only when I became violently ill), I simply went to the main office at my high school and made a phone call. I’m not sure that I understand the urgency to remain in constant contact with one’s children during the school day. On another, related matter, in some provinces, distracted driving (caused primarily by smartphone use) causes more deaths than intoxicated driving. Government officials, however, have yet to commit to any movement toward parity in the legal consequences of distracted vs. intoxicated driving. In any case, many of these issues are so new that it’s understandable that finding helpful ways to adapt and manage the risks and benefits of electronic devices is a work in progress. I think one thing we can do is find a way to bring a greater focus on mindfulness to our use of electronic devices. I will discuss this in a future blog.