By Christopher Sorensen
Have you heard the expression “We only use 20 percent of our brain”? A better question might be, “Which brain cells make up that 20 percent, and what happens to the other 80 percent?”
Humans are born with many more brain cells than they end up with later in life. This is because early on, as we gain different experiences, neural patterns begin to develop, and those brain cells involved with those patterns are retained. Over time, brain cells that aren’t used get pruned. This means it’s vital to pay close attention to those early experiences for our youth as their brain grows and matures.
To celebrate Mental Health Month, the Trenton Rotary Club, in partnership with Trenton Public Schools, is hosting a free family event at the Trenton Village Theatre on Tuesday, May 21, at 7 p.m. Screenagers will help local families learn more about the effects of excessive screen time on young brains, along with techniques they can take with them to continue the discussion and create a family plan for managing screen time that works for everyone — both kids and adults. Kids will get to hear from other kids, adults can share what works in their lives, and experts will share their observations about raising a family of responsible Digital Citizens.
A recent study by the National Institute of Health suggests that excessive screen time in 9 and 10-year-olds can have a significant effect on early brain development. Initial data from the study suggests kids who spend more than seven hours a day on screens (computers, tablets, phones, etc.) develop a thinner outer layer of the cerebral cortex — the part of the brain responsible for higher order thinking like problem-solving and planning. It’s also responsible for regulating our response to emotions.
The ongoing study will continue for many years and these results are very preliminary, but they can begin to form the basis for discussions with your own kids. Seven hours might seem like a lot, but it’s not just video games. When you consider screen time includes gaming, social media, and YouTube, plus homework and plain old TV, it adds up quickly. Another study looked at what happens inside a teenager’s brain when they use social media apps and click “Like” on different photos. They compared brain scans when kids liked “neutral” photos — friends having innocent fun, and risky photos — teens drinking alcohol or wearing sexy clothes. The results indicate that when teens were shown photos of risky behavior, they exhibited less activity in the brain areas associated with “cognitive control.” This is the part that senses something out-of-the-ordinary, causes us to pause, evaluate, and avoid dangerous situations.
Smartphones have barely been around for 10 years. The technology itself is well known, but the effects on human development are largely unknown. The increase in the amount of rigorous, scientific research being conducted hints at an academic interest in quantifying the effects of screen time to gain an understanding of the long-term impact.
Some things to know about teen’s brains:
During adolescence is when a person is most susceptible to pleasure-producing behaviors and substances.
The part of the brain that is responsible for things such as planning and impulse control (the frontal cortex) grows slowly over the teen years and is not fully developed until our 20s.
MRI brain scans of people that play video games for about 20 hours a week show patterns similar to scans of people addicted to drugs.
Schools are also starting to take notice. A recent report from the Pew Research Center shows that 95 percent of teens in the United States now have a smartphone, and 45 percent reported they were almost constantly online. After completing a survey about social media use, many teens reported having a mostly positive experience on social media, noting that it helped them connect with family and friends and made it easier to connect with new people. Others mentioned they had a mostly negative view of social media. Reasons include bullying and harassment, unrealistic views of other’s lives, peer pressure, and mental health issues.
A national debate is raging about excessive use of cellphones in schools and the best methods of handling them. Most states, including Michigan, allow individual school districts to make their own determination.
“What we are finding at the middle school is that cell phones are causing students to be distracted at school,” said Boyd Arthurs Middle School counselor Erin Anderson. “We have a policy in place that we strongly enforce where students need to turn their phones off when entering the class and give their phone to the teacher.”
Teachers, counselors, and administrators all seem to agree that the first step is raising awareness of both the benefits and potential distractions caused by excessive use of cellphones in school.
Many parents struggle with finding the right age to give their child a cellphone, but rather than focusing on a specific age, parents should determine whether their child has the right level of maturity, and make sure they have prepared kids to be responsible Digital Citizens.
Screenagers will help you get started. The event starts with a video featuring a family of working parents and teenagers coping with cellphone rules. After the video, a panel of Downriver educators, counselors, doctors, parents, and teens will take questions from the audience and discuss their own experiences. Families will leave with resources they can use to continue the discussion at home and form a family plan that works for everyone — adults and kids.
The Trenton Village Theatre is located at 2447 West Jefferson Ave., in Trenton. Admission for the event is free. Visit https://www.screenagersmovie.com/
Here’s what some experts are saying about Screenagers:
“An amazing documentary … very relevant for parents, teachers, and students. Many parents left asking when we were going to show it again because they wanted to bring their friends.” — John H., vice principal, Elk Grove, Calif.
“Students and parents alike loved this film. It addressed everyone’s concerns and opened up important conversations about the impact of screen time.” — Katherine G., assistant head of school, North Dartmouth, Mass.