Having a regular meditation practice, while focusing on eating healthy foods, movement and getting a minimum of 7.5 hours of sleep, can help us feel more balanced and better able to handle stress caused by technology.
more of a lifestyle and connection replacement. We’re seeing higher levels of depression, low selfesteem and ADHD, to name a few issues. HOW TO REBOOT S E N I O R M O N R O E : As human beings, we’re
TECH EFFECT #2: A disconnect in our relationships A L E X L I C K E R M A N , M D : Like anything else, the
Internet can be both good and evil. There’s a tremendous amount of educational material, but it can also be a black hole and suck you in, completely disconnecting you from life. It’s way too soon to say digital technology is causing depression, but it might be correlated.
biologically hardwired for connection. A baby, while being held, actually releases endorphins and dopamine and all these chemicals that tell us that connecting with a human being is necessary for survival and safety. With disconnection, it releases cortisol and adrenaline, which teaches our body to get back to that connection. The way that you can create empathy and connection is with face-to-face quality time. Instead of texting for an hour, plan to meet up with a friend. L I C K E R M A N : My rule of thumb is, if it’s a tough
cyber bullying, meanness and hostility. With kids, there’s the issue that they don’t even know how to question [what they read online]. The suicide rate is up 70 percent for white kids and 77 for black. L I C K E R M A N : It’s very easy to hide behind digital
media, to avoid negative emotions such as having a difficult conversation. Being anonymous [on social media] also gives people the license to say things they wouldn’t otherwise say. There’s no shame involved, which ordinarily would regulate behavior; you’re unable to see the immediate effects of your vitriolic tweet. When you’re communicating digitally, you can’t communicate sarcasm, nuance or tone and that leads to tremendous miscommunication. If you were in the room together, there would be a level of respect. WA R R E N : It’s really sad how much we see this among the adult population, people writing things they would never say out loud.
conversation to have, have it in person. And don’t ever say anything on digital media that you wouldn’t say in real life. S E N I O R M O N R O E : If you want to do a digital detox and erase your apps, go for it. But another thing we can do is to set limits on how much screen time we have per day. Become mindful of how you feel, and if your mood dips, then you know it’s too much. Maybe 10 minutes is too much, let’s try for five next time. You can set an alarm, or there are apps that track how much time you’re spending; Instagram and the iPhone have a weekly summary of the hours you’ve spent. I also think it would be great to get friends involved and start a challenge, to see who can spend the least amount of time on their devices. Powering down your phone, especially if you don’t need it, is another smart idea, say, if you’re going to spend a few hours with your kids.
TECH EFFECT #3: Weight gain
H E AT H E R S E N I O R M O N R O E : I think that digital
technology can be a great tool, but it should in no way replace authentic connection between humans. Unfortunately we’ve taken that tool as
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S E N I O R M O N R O E : Weight gain can be a side effect of too much screen time because it leads to a more sedentary lifestyle. [Excessive screen time] can also
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WA R R E N : Digital technology can also manifest in
