Comstock's magazine 0620 - June June 2020 | Page 47

says excessive screen time also leads to
less interest playing outside, crawling or
using hands to build things. Essentially,
on-screen activities can rewire the way
the brain interprets the three-dimensional
environment of the real world.
But Chez notes positive things about
video games, especially for the aging
brain. Research shows video games may
help seniors improve cognitive function,
memory and the ability to multitask.
To that end, he says, technology is
a tool that needs to be used responsibly.
“Where do you need it for work, and
where does it become an obsession?” he
asks. “We might need to put warnings
on things. It is a health risk.”
If your family has a history of other
types of addictions — alcoholism, drugs,
smoking, food — you’re more at risk of
getting addicted to technology, according
to Peter Yellowlees, chief wellness officer
at UC Davis Health and a psychiatry
and behavioral sciences professor at UC
Davis. “Most people can put their phone
down and be in the moment,” he says.
“But there is a group of people who tend
to get overinvolved. They’re the people
you want to be careful about.”
Yellowlees has had many high
school and college students referred to
him for spending too much time online,
typically on multiplayer video games. Is
there trouble at home? Are they hiding
from something? These are the types
of questions Yellowlees explores in his
sessions. Reasons for escaping into a
virtual world may vary, but he sees the
same patterns over and over.
“If you give them unlimited access,
it will be harmful to them,” he says.
“They’re not sleeping, up too late, tired,
which affects schoolwork, and they feel
worse about themselves, self-esteem
goes down, they hide away online —
you can see a cycle developing.”
In these cases, their whole social
experience is online. In recent years, reports
have linked smartphone addiction
and social media to declines in social
skills. But a new study rejects that argument
after comparing the youngest generation
to the previous one. Researchers
found similar ratings in self-control and
no drop in their ability to make and keep
friends. But according to Yellowlees,
even though his patients typically refer
to their online relationships as friendships,
these are not really friendships.
“I’ve seen people who are literally online
12-16 hours a day,” he says. “They’re
essentially not living in the same world
as the rest of us.”
Point system
The world of gaming, in many ways,
mirrors the world of social media,
urging users to participate and stay
engaged to achieve mastery, says Mark
Otero, a wunderkind of the Sacramento
gaming scene who founded online
gaming company KlickNation (acquired
by EA in 2011).
“In games, people aspire to achieve
mastery,” he says. “The game stops being
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June 2020 | comstocksmag.com 47