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Overstimulating from Too much screen time causes depression and dysregulation.

Is Your Child Overstimulated from Too Much Screen Time?

Could your child be overstimulated from too much screen time? Take this quiz to find out

*Originally posted on Dr dunckley’s Mental Wealth blog on Psychology Today. 

How much screen time is “too much”? How does one know? Blanket guidelines, such as those provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics, do not address individual needs and sensitivities. This quiz can help determine  whether your child may be experiencing screen time impacts – aka “digital side effects”- from using electronic devices, which can occur even when a child has limited (but regular) screen use.

Recognizing Electronic Screen Syndrome

Thankfully, there is now a growing awareness regarding technology addiction. But well before addiction sets in, a child’s sensitive nervous system can become overstimulated and hyperaroused from moderate but regular amounts of screen time. This causes the brain to be in a state of chronic stress and effectively short circuits the frontal lobe, creating a host of symptoms that mimic or exacerbate mental health, learning, and behavioral disorders.

The first step in addressing this state — what I call Electronic Screen Syndrome (ESS) — is recognizing the signs.

This is important because traditionally when experts discuss red flags for problematic screen time, they focus on addictive behaviors, many of which are readily apparent. In contrast, this quiz is designed to help parents see the not-so-obvious ways in which screen time might be impacting a child’s or teen’s behavior in a negative way.

Electronic Screen Syndrome Quiz:

Place a checkmark next to each question that applies to your child.

  • Does your child seem revved up much of the time?
  • Does your child have meltdowns over minor frustrations?
  • Does your child have full-blown rages?
  • Has your child become increasingly oppositional, defiant, or disorganized?
  • Does your child become irritable when told it’s time to stop playing video games or to get off the computer?
  • Do you ever notice your child’s pupils are dilated after using electronics?
  • Does your child have a hard time making eye contact after screen time or in general?
  • Would you describe your child as being attracted to screens “like a moth to a flame”?
  • Do you ever feel your child is not as happy as he or she should be or is not enjoying activities as much as he or she used to?
  • Does your child have trouble making or keeping friends because of immature behavior?
  • Do you worry that your child’s interests have narrowed recently, or that interests mostly revolve around screens? Do you feel his or her thirst for knowledge and natural curiosity has been dampened?
  • Are your child’s grades falling, or is he or she not performing academically up to his or her potential — and no one is certain why?
  • Have teachers, pediatricians, or therapists suggested your child might have bipolar disorder, depression, ADHD, an anxiety disorder, or even psychosis, and there’s no family history of the disorder?
  • Have multiple practitioners given your child differing or conflicting diagnoses? Have you been told your child needs medication, but this doesn’t feel right to you?
  • Does your child have a preexisting condition, like autism or ADHD, whose symptoms seem to get worse after screen time?
    Does your child seem “wired and tired” — exhausted but can’t sleep, or sleeps but doesn’t feel rested?
  • Does your child seem unmotivated and have poor attention to detail?
  • Would you describe your child as being stressed, despite few identifiable stressors?
    Is your child receiving services in school that don’t seem to be helping?
  • Do you and your child argue over screens (limits, timing, content, activities, getting a new device, etc.) on a regular basis?
  • Does your child lie about screen use, “cheat” when on restriction, or take their device to bed with them?
  • Is your child a “sore loser” or hyper-competitive when playing games or sports, to the point where it affects peer relationships or enjoyment of the activity itself?
  • Does your child prefer socializing online over face-to-face interactions?
  • Do you avoid setting screen time limits because you fear your child’s reaction, you’re too exhausted, or because you’d feel guilty doing so?
  • Do you avoid spending time with your child because you predict it won’t be enjoyable or because you harbor negative feelings toward your child?

Quiz Scoring:

Overall points: Count the number of checked boxes/items endorsed.  Needless to say, the more questions that resonate with your family’s situation the higher the likelihood that screen time is affecting your child’s nervous system—ESS. At the same time, a higher score reflects risk for tech addiction—even if the amount of screen time is “average” or even less than your child’s peers.

1-5 points: Some risk for ESS. Your child has some difficulties whose primary underlying cause may or may not be related to screen use. However, all mental health, learning and behavior issues will improve when screen time is properly addressed. This is similar to how restoring sleep tends to have a panacea-like effect on mental conditions across the board.

5-12 points: Moderate risk for ESS. Your child has some significant difficulties, likely in more than one area (school, home or in relationships). There’s a good chance that your child may remain “stuck” or see limited improvements if ESS and screen time are not addressed. On the other hand, if you’re catching ESS early and aren’t too stressed yourself, now would a good time to nip it in the bud.

13 or more: High risk for ESS. If you’ve answered “yes” to more than half the questions above, it is highly likely your child has Electronic Screen Syndrome and may also be at risk for technology addiction. Many, many families fall into this category. You may feel you’re in crisis mode, all the time. Fear not—being in this state can be highly motivating, and you’re likely to see more dramatic and even “life-changing” benefits when ESS is reversed.

Specific problematic areas:

In contrast to the overall score, this section can help flesh out specific challenges your child may be experiencing. In turn, this can help you choose areas in which to track progress if you decide to try the screen fasting protocol.

Hyperarousal/overstimulation: Virtually all these questions relate directly or indirectly to hyperarousal, but in regards to physiological arousal look to items 1-7, 10, 16-18, and 22.

Mood dysregulation: Items 9, 11, 13, 17 and 22.

Cognition/focus: Items 4, 11-15, 17 and 19.

Behavior/social skills: Items 4, 7, 10, 20, 22 and 23.

Attachment: Items 7, 9, 10, 20, 21, 24 and 25.

Addiction: Items 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 20, and 21, 23 and 24.

Misdiagnosis: Items 12-15, and 19. Since ESS can mimic or exacerbate psychiatric disorders, its presence is commonly missed. The presence of ESS doesn’t rule out other underlying conditions, but it will virtually always make them worse. Further, when ESS is left untreated the underlying disorders become harder (if not impossible) to address.

 

Electronic Screen Syndrome characteristics

In general, ESS is marked by high levels of arousal (hyperarousal, or being “revved up”) and an inability to regulate emotions and stress levels (dysregulation).

Symptoms vary and can mimic virtually any psychiatric or learning disorder and many neurological disorders. However, a classic presentation of ESS is irritable mood, poor focus or disorganization, low frustration tolerance, and problematic behaviors such as argumentativeness or poor eye contact. Depressed or anxious mood is also common.

You might notice that the quiz questions above cover a wide variety of dysfunction, but they all represent scenarios that can occur when a child starts operating from a more primitive part of the brain—which is what happens when children get more screen time than the nervous system can handle.

Now what?

The presence of ESS is good news—because whenever we can identify a culprit, we can point to an avenue of treatment. (Compare this to going in circles because you don’t know what’s going on and you’re wasting time/energy/money trying to figure it all out.)

Importantly, it doesn’t matter if there are underlying diagnoses or stressors contributing to the child’s symptoms; indeed these factors only make the child more vulnerable to overstimulation. And though screens may seem so ubiquitous that they’re impossible to control, the truth is that with education, support, and a concrete plan, parents can take back control, turn ESS around, and boost quality of life for not just your child but the entire family.

Screen fasting provides relief and clarity, and helps form new habits

The keys to success lie in grasping the physiology and dynamics behind screens and the nervous system as well as understanding how to systematically reset and resynchronize a child’s brain. This is achieved with a strict, extended electronic fast (aka a tech fast or screen fast) of at least three weeks’ (sometimes longer) duration.

Though the thought of this might seem overwhelming, most parents find the fast easier than they imagined it would be. Once the child’s nervous system is reset to its natural baseline, parents can either continue being (mostly) screen-free, or they can methodically determine how much screen time the child can tolerate without triggering symptoms or dysfunction.

Why not just cut back, you ask? Because screen exposure has potent biological effects including overactivation of the brain’s reward pathways, desynchronization of the body clock, sensory overload, release of stress hormones, and electrical excitability. These systems tend to stay in a disorganized state without complete removal of the offending agents. Removing screen stimulation allows the brain to get deep rest, resynchronize the clock, rebalance brain chemistry and hormones, quiet overactive pathways, and restore mental energy.

At the same time, the child’s play changes naturally, to being more physical, social, and creative. Instead of being bombarded by electronic stimulation while “waiting for the next fix” in between screen sessions, the child forms new habits and new routines, for example going directly outside after school, and reading or wanting to be read to in the evenings. Family dynamics change too, as members talk more, listen better, make more eye contact, and even laugh and smile more.

In short, recognizing and addressing overstimulation and ESS from screen time can have a profound impact on mood, focus, and behavior in children, teens—and even young adults—in a matter of weeks, while restoring peace and harmony in the home.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. For the complete guide on ESS and the Reset Program (screen fasting protocol), see
Reset Your Child’s Brain: A Four Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades and Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time.
Reset Your Child's Brain book

2. Prefer to watch or listen? Check out Screen Time and Your Child’s Brain webinar.  
The webinar includes footage of a real family doing the electronic fast with their 2 kids.

Screen Time and Your Child's Brain webinar

 

Victoria L. Dunckley, M.D. is an integrative child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist, the author of Reset Your Child’s Brain, and an expert on the effects of screen-time on the developing nervous system.

 

Screentime causes meltdowns

Screentime is Making Kids Moody, Crazy and Lazy

6 ways electronics use can make children angry, depressed, and unmotivated

pathdoc/fotoliaChildren or teens who are “revved up” and prone to rages or—alternatively—who are depressed and apathetic have become disturbingly commonplace. Chronically irritable children are often in a state of abnormally high arousal, and may seem “wired and tired.” That is, they’re agitated but exhausted. Because chronically high arousal levels impact memory and the ability to relate, these kids are also likely to struggle academically and socially.

At some point, a child with these symptoms may be given a mental-health diagnosis such as major depression, bipolar disorder, or ADHD, and offered corresponding treatments, including therapy and medication. But often these treatments don’t work very well, and the downward spiral continues.

What’s happening?

Both parents and clinicians may be “barking up the wrong tree.” That is, they’re trying to treat what looks like a textbook case of mental disorder, but failing to rule out and address the most common environmental cause of such symptoms—everyday use of electronics. Time and again, I’ve realized that regardless of whether there exists any “true” underlying diagnoses, successfully treating a child with mood dysregulation today requires methodically eliminating all electronics use for several weeks—an “electronic fast” —to allow the nervous system to “reset.” 

If done correctly, this intervention can produce deeper sleep, a brighter and more even mood, better focus and organization, and an increase in physical activity. The ability to tolerate stress improves, so meltdowns diminish in both frequency and severity. The child begins to enjoy the things they used to, is more drawn to nature, and imaginary or creative play returns. In teens and young adults, an increase in self-directed behavior is observed—the exact opposite of apathy and hopelessness.

It’s a beautiful thing.

At the same time, the electronic fast reduces or eliminates the need for medication while rendering other treatments more effective. Improved sleep, more exercise, and more face-to-face contact with others compound the benefits—an upward spiral! After the fast, once the brain is reset, the parent can carefully determine how much if any electronics use the child can tolerate without symptoms returning.

Restricting electronics may not solve everything, but it’s often the missing link in treatment when kids are stuck.  

But why is the electronic fast intervention so effective? Because it reverses much of the physiological dysfunction produced by daily screen time.

Children’s brains are much more sensitive to electronics use than most of us realize. In fact, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take much electronic stimulation to throw a sensitive and still-developing brain off track. Also, many parents mistakenly believe that interactive screen-time—Internet or social media use, texting, emailing, and gaming—isn’t harmful, especially compared to passive screen time like watching TV. In fact, interactive screen time is more likely to cause sleep, mood, and cognitive issues, because it’s more likely to cause hyperarousal and compulsive use.

Here’s a look at six physiological mechanisms that explain electronics’ tendency to produce mood disturbance:

1. Screen time disrupts sleep and desynchronizes the body clock (link is external).

Because light from screen devices mimics daytime, it suppresses melatonin, a sleep signal released by darkness. Just minutes of screen stimulation can delay melatonin release by several hours and desynchronize the body clock. Once the body clock is disrupted, all sorts of other unhealthy reactions occur, such as hormone imbalance and brain inflammation. Plus, high arousal doesn’t permit deep sleep, and deep sleep is how we heal.

2. Screen time desensitizes the brain’s reward system.

Many children are “hooked” on electronics, and in fact gaming releases so much dopamine—the “feel-good” chemical—that on a brain scan it looks the same as cocaine use. But when reward pathways are overused, they become less sensitive, and more and more stimulation is needed to experience pleasure. Meanwhile, dopamine is also critical for focus and motivation, so needless to say, even small changes in dopamine sensitivity can wreak havoc on how well a child feels and functions.

3. Screen time produces “light-at-night.”

Light-at-night from electronics has been linked to depression and even suicide risk in numerous studies. In fact, animal studies show that exposure to screen-based light before or during sleep causes depression, even when the animal isn’t looking at the screen. Sometimes parents are reluctant to restrict electronics use in a child’s bedroom because they worry the child will enter a state of despair—but in fact removing light-at-night is protective.

4. Screen time induces stress reactions.

Both acute stress (fight-or-flight) and chronic stress produce changes in brain chemistry and hormones that can increase irritability. Indeed, cortisol, the chronic stress hormone, seems to be both a cause and an effect of depression—creating a vicious cycle. Additionally, both hyperarousal and addiction pathways suppress the brain’s frontal lobe, the area where mood regulation actually takes place.

5. Screen time overloads the sensory system, fractures attention, and depletes mental reserves. 

Experts say that what’s often behind explosive and aggressive behavior is poor focus. When attention suffers, so does the ability to process one’s internal and external environment, so little demands become big ones. By depleting mental energy with high visual and cognitive input, screen time contributes to low reserves. One way to temporarily “boost” depleted reserves is to become angry, so meltdowns actually become a coping mechanism.

Chubykin Arkady/Shutterstock
Source: Chubykin Arkady/Shutterstock

6. Screen-time reduces physical activity levels and exposure to “green time.”

Research shows that time outdoors, especially interacting with nature, can restore attention, lower stress, and reduce aggression. Thus, time spent with electronics reduces exposure to natural mood enhancers.

In today’s world, it may seem crazy to restrict electronics so drastically. But when kids are struggling, we’re not doing them any favors by leaving electronics in place and hoping they can wind down by using electronics in “moderation.” It just doesn’t work. In contrast, by allowing the nervous system to return to a more natural state with a strict fast, we can take the first step in helping a child become calmer, stronger, and happier.

For more on this topic, check out my new book, Reset Your Child’s Brain: A Four Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades and Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen Time. 

Centre for Life Los Angeles Office

New Office Location in Los Angeles!

I’m excited to announce I’m joining forces with an alternative healing center called the Centre for Life, located in Los Angeles in the Marina Del Rey area.  The new office is conveniently located near West LA, Venice, Culver City, and Santa Monica just off the 90W from the 405 freeway.

The Centre was opened by homeopath Avghi Constantinides and is serviced by acupuncturists, psychiatrists, a pediatrician, naturopaths, and hypnotherapists.  To better serve my patients with a holistic approach, I’ve begun preparing for an additional board specialty in integrative medicine (American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine).  Working closely with other alternative health practitioners allows me to both  further my education and refer patients for consultation in a convenient manner.

Click here for more information on the Centre for Life.

Centre for Life Los Angeles Office
Centre for Life building

New Services: Along with micronutrient testing, I’ll now be offering neurotransmitter testing, food and chemical sensitivity testing, and hormonal and metabolic panels.  These tests help individualize supplement regimens, optimize treatment, and minimize psychotropic medication use. 

overstimulated brain from too much screen time

Computer, Video Games and Psychosis: Cause for Concern

overstimulated brain“I hear voices at night, and sometimes I think someone’s outside my window,” the 19-year-old young man informed me.  “I know no one’s really there, but it’s still scary.”

In my practice in the past six months, no less than 5 youths have reported psychotic symptoms that were attributed to, or exacerbated by, electronic screens.    As per my protocol, I always get an “e-screen” history:

  • video games
  • computer/internet use
  • cell phone use (talking, texting, streaming, and internet).

Not surprisingly, all five of these patients, ranging from 15-22 years old, were “plugged in” for six or more hours each day.  Three were female and two male.  After discussing e-screens’ toxic influence on the brain, I recommended to each of these patients that they forego all electronic screens for at least 4 weeks.

The three females all decided to go “cold turkey ” and gave up their games, laptops, and phones.  All three saw their symptoms resolve completely within a month.  Of the two males, one cut down use significantly and his hallucinations disappeared; his paranoia remained but was less severe and caused less dysfunction.   The other male turned out to be severely addicted to the internet and video games and flat out refused to change his habits at all (a subject for another article entirely!  Needless to say he continues to suffer from psychosis).

Importantly, the therapeutic effects were achieved without using medication! This is a big deal, because medications used to treat psychotic symptoms are heavy duty, and have serious side effects, such as weight gain, hormone dysfunction, and movement disorders.

Electronic screens, particularly interactive ones (as opposed to passive ones, like television), increase dopamine in the reward center of the brain.  This effect has been demonstrated by brain scan (Koepp, 1998: http://www.nrc-iol.org/cores/mialab/fijc/Files/2002/120402_Koepp_Nature_1998.pdf )  Dopamine is the “feel good” chemical, but is also related to stress, addiction, anxiety, mood, and attention.   Perhaps more disturbing, dopamine excess in certain parts of the brain can lead to psychotic symptoms-voices, delusions, paranoia, or confusion.

Psychosis is defined by abnormal thinking. This can involve thought content, such as hallucinations, delusions, or paranoia, or thought process (highly disorganized thinking, or feeling thoughts are “blocked”).   It is typically attributed to the severely mentally ill, like schizophrenics, but can also be seen in “normal” people under extreme stress.  Children in particular are more likely to hallucinate when traumatized, sleep-deprived, or over-stimulated.   E-screens cause or mimic all three of these states!

Take home point: Children, teens, and young adults who have unexplained hallucinations or delusions should have ALL electronic screens removed for at least 3 weeks, as part of the diagnostic process.  This includes cell phones, as texting, media viewing, and internet use can quickly rack up hours.  Virtually all teens and many young adults do not yet have the impulse control to moderate their own usage, and this is why the parent must physically remove these devices. While this may seem extreme, drastic times cause for drastic measures.   Psychosis–and treatment thereof–is serious and has long-lasting effects.

As psychiatric disorders in young people continue to explode, and evidence mounts about the toxic effects of e-screens on the developing brain, parents and clinicians would be prudent to remove this offending environmental trigger from the child’s life, as part of the diagnosis and as one “arm” of the treatment plan.

When you start to feel conflicted about removing screens-they are so ingrained in our lives, after all-this is what I tell my patients and their parents: “You will never regret removing video games and computer use, but you may sorely regret leaving them in place. “

For more information on video games and a FREE mini course, visit www.drdunckley.com/videogames or fill in the form below:

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