Distracted and Addicted

🌟Weekly Inspiration🌟

Lately, I’ve been bummed to notice the increasing levels of distraction and addiction to technology, especially for youth. In our practice, we’ve all been noticing kids/teenagers/young adults who can’t even get through an entire 50-minute therapy session without looking at their phone, scrolling for a second, being distracted by the text alerts, or excusing themselves to the bathroom midway through to check their phones (in our opinion). It’s even worse and more noticeable in telehealth sessions where people are on their computer or phone for the session. It seems to be a challenge for adults and youth to just stay present, even when they are paying good money to be curious and explore the issues that brought them to the therapy space.

The interface with tech is changing us…in ways we can’t even measure yet. The rise in ADHD diagnoses, need for medication, and accommodations in school—may be about true ADHD and may also be related to screen addiction and its consequences or anxiety. It’s challenging to piece out to be sure. I sure feel refreshed when I hear youth tell me they are sick of tech, bored with it, opting off some platforms, connecting more in person, and taking Digital detox periods. 

Ask Yourself:

How impacted am I by tech?
Do I read books for sustained periods the way that I used to?
Can I give myself more digital breaks?
What do my children observe of my relationship with tech?
What do I notice in their behavior with tech?
Are they distracted, unable to sustain attention, bored easily if not getting dopamine hits regularly by tech?
How can I help them have better boundaries?
Have I given up?

No judgment! Just give it some thought ❤️