Distraction

Distraction is one of the most common negative side effects of digital device use. Digital distraction and the presence of digital devices, have negative impacts even when devices are not in use.

• Low productivity and Poor performance: Individuals have also experienced challenges with task productivity due to distraction. Whether it be schoolwork or tasks at employment, presence of digital devices have been found to interfere with productivity, resulting in poor performance.
• Late assignments and/or late payments can be the outcomes.
• At home, distraction leads to challenges as well. Household responsibilities can more easily be forgotten, delayed or avoided with the distraction of screens and notifications that bring attention back to a device.
• Communication and interaction overall are often inhibited due to the distraction of screens and digital devices.

As demonstrated by Ward, et al., working memory and problem solving are impeded by the presence of the digital device.^[1]

Presence of Smartphone Impacts Working Memory and Problem Solving

Attention Span Deficits:

The last few generations brought up on videos have become accustomed to a high level of stimulation with rapidly changing sights and sounds, and have trouble focusing their attention under more mundane conditions such as a lecture from a teacher in front of a classroom. We are seeing clear decreases in the human attention span over time.

A major factor regarding the time spent on smartphones pertains to the frequent switching between apps, thus requiring only brief periods of attention, rather than the sustained attention necessary to read a longer text such as a magazine article. Now the brain is also habituating to frequently shifting attention, which we commonly refer to as multitasking. However, researchers have questioned whether doing more than one thing at a time well is even possible. Findings are that although one may be able to do more than one thing at a time, in most cases this does not translate to quality or efficiency with the tasks.

We may hypothesize that the frequent shifting of attention from one app to another, the checking of emails, texting with several people, watching a few minutes of a video, all within a few minutes may be causing a new generation in which attention deficit disorder becomes the norm rather than the exception for the teenage brain.21 This “continuous partial attention” places the brain in a heightened state of alertness and stress, which may result in individuals not taking the time or even having the ability to contemplate or make thoughtful decisions.

Research demonstrates that allowing phones in the classroom negatively impacts test scores and long-term learning retention. There are some correlational studies that suggest negative relationships between off-task device use and student achievement.  Additionally, research on multitasking finds negative effects on learning and task completion. Studies have also shown that cellphones distract and negatively impact reaction times, performance, and cognitive capacity.  – Bok

Research has shown that off-topic device usage, on a phone or on a laptop, negatively impacts academic performance (e.g. Glass and Kang, 2019; Felisoni and Godoi, 2018; Bjornsen and Archer, 2015; Demirbilek and Talan, 2018). Studies have compared students who texted during a lecture versus those who did not. Students who texted typically took lower quality notes, retained less information, and did worse on tests about the material (e.g. Kuznekoff and Titsworth, 2013, and Rosen et al, 2011; Lee et al, 2017). A majority of students indicate that they are aware that in-class multitasking impedes learning (Sana et al, 2013).  – Bok

Device usage has also been found to be distracting to other students in the classroom. Multiple students have reported that texting is distracting to nearby students (Tindell and Bohlander, 2011). Research on laptops in a simulated classroom found that students in the vicinity of another student who was multitasking on a laptop during class scored worse on a test than those who were not near those who were multitasking (Sana et al, 2013). However, a follow-up study found that it matters what students are doing on their computers; a neighbor who engages with off-task content has a more harmful effect on one’s comprehension than if the neighbor is on-task (Hall et al, 2020).^[2]

Mental/Intellectual Health Issues Related to Digital Use

It can be useful to categorize issues related to digital use by area of health. The following issues can be categorized within mental or intellectual health.

Increases in Mental Health Issues:

Rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality have increased alongside the advent of smartphones and social media (SAMHSA). This is because digital media use can cause fear, anxiety, feelings of inferiority, depression, and reduce emotional-regulation skills.^[3]

Much psychological distress has also been reported by adolescents as a result of situations involving cyberbullying or sharing of nude photos, new stressors that did not exist in previous generations.

Suicidal Crisis

Although one of the benefits of digital usage was the ability to reach out for help, studies have shown a relationship between suicidal ideation and mobile phone use or dependence in adolescents. For example, both early and late adolescents who use mobile phones past their bedtime may have more suicidal feelings. Research involving vocational school students found that mobile phone dependence was positively correlated with suicidal ideation, and the risk of suicide was much higher among students with mobile phone dependence and depressive symptoms. ^[4]

Decreased Information Processing and Retention

Research demonstrates:

• writing by hand improves memory and retention as compared to typing information.
• reading text on paper increases comprehension and memory. ^[5]

The shift to electronic versions of educational materials and assessments has had a negative impact for some individuals, particularly among those with learning and executive functioning challenges.^[6]

Social Media Research Points

• Research has found a direct link between social media use and mood disorders like anxiety and depression, but acknowledges that the relationship is complex.
• High levels of social media use among first-year college students have been associated with higher levels of loneliness.
• The majority of college-aged students compare themselves with peers within 15 minutes of waking up via social media.
• Research on the impact of social media on issues such as anxiety, depression, self-identity and body image, found that Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter all demonstrated negative effects overall on young people’s mental health.

Many people unconsciously come away from social media feeling flawed and inferior even though what they are viewing is not 100% real. Research has shown a large number of individuals touching up photos before posting. Editing photos before posting was linked with greater degrees of body dissatisfaction, eating concerns, and dieting behaviors. Social media escalates body issues with continuous exposure to unrealistic content. These images increase risk of dissatisfaction, development of body dysmorphia, and eating disorders.

Social media algorithms likely worsen the issue because of how content is personalized for users based on preferences. The algorithms can bring more extreme, less monitored content just to keep them on the platform. Research has revealed that the TikTok algorithm frequently shows users with eating disorders content promoting eating disorders without them having to even search for it.^[7]

Research is showing that how social media is used and how much time is spent using it have significant implications for psychological well-being and mental health. Most recent studies find that limiting but not eliminating social media has beneficial effects. Correlational findings suggest that following actual friends is beneficial, while following strangers can be harmful. How time on social media is used and who in interacted with, in addition to how much time one spends on social media makes a difference for well-being.^[8]

Social Health

As noted in the Mental Health section above, social media certainly impacts social health as well. The ability to garner hundreds or even thousands of contacts, friends, followers, etc. can promote the need for gratification through numbers. Whether it be number of likes or number of connections, the human brain can easily begin to crave external approval or gratification to the point of significant distraction from reality.

Is More Always Better? – When it comes to relationships with others, more connections are not always better. Despite the brain’s desire for external approval and gratification, having numerous connections that we don’t really know well isn’t as beneficial as having a few good quality relationships.

Impact on Social Skill Development –

In addition to the physiological effects on the developing brain, there are obviously psychosocial effects of so much screen time on the maturing adolescent.

• Research reveals that as youth spend more time at home, and have significantly less face-to-face interactions with their peers than previous generations, more of them feel socially isolated and left out.
• In extreme cases they may develop severe anxiety around social situations or become clinically depressed.
• More screen time leads to less in-person social interaction, which in turn leads to more loneliness.27 Despite the number of digital connections, social isolation is of concern.

A big piece of our overall health and wellness involves feeling socially connected. Although digital devices can be used to connect with others, that time is spent physically distanced from others. In-person activities become less appealing. This was exacerbated by the pandemic.

Research reveals that when we are in-person, simply the presence of a smartphone or screen negatively affect closeness, connection and conversation quality. The current generation is growing up connected to mobile devices, but emotionally disconnected, which is impacting empathy. Practice with conversation skills is needed to work effectively and develop relationships.

Sharing False Information:

Unfortunately, massive amounts of false information are shared digitally every day through social platforms. Verification of the accuracy and reliability of information is a critical issue. When people are not “digitally literate” and do not know the importance of verifying information, we have people who share or act on falsehoods that can be damaging to individual and societal health and wellness.

Physical Health

• Use of digital technology can have negative consequences for our body such as:
• Displacement of physical activity due to sedentary behavior with screen time
• Overeating · Weight gain and lack of fitness, and contributing to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer.
• Impaired circulation
• Ergonomic and orthopedic issues due to positioning of the body
• Digital eye strain and myopia
• Sleep deprivation The eyes are negatively affected by blue light exposure from devices, which can cause myopia. The light from screens also negatively impacts our body’s natural production of melatonin, which helps us sleep. Although it may seem that scrolling is a good method for unwinding, viewing screens before bed can also stimulate the mind and inhibit sleep. Time passes quickly and can result in significant sleep deficit. Lack of sleep has been linked with a number of additional health issues including weight gain and increased risk of mental health issues. (Eden et al)

Recommendations: It is recommended that adults get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. It is also recommended that screen use be discontinued at least 60 minutes before bed, 30 minutes at the very least.

Spiritual Health

Spiritual health is finding gratitude in one’s circumstances, consciously exploring the meaning of life and connecting with oneself, others and nature. In our fast-paced, always-connected world, many struggle to find purpose, peace, and meaning in our lives. The foundation of our relationships with others is based on the health of our relationships with ourselves. Spending time listening to our inner thoughts, and developing our values and opinions will help to better understand and accept who we are. Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, noted that stillness is needed in order to develop identity. Digital media can create an unending potential for distraction leading to stress and loss of self-direction.

• Digital media poses challenges with spiritual health such as;
• Interfering with our ability to be alone, preventing deep thinking, self-reflection and mental clarity
• Loss of motivation
• Inability to pursue long term goals
• Lack of work-life balance
• Inability to disconnect or unplug
• Digital fatigue paradox (using tech to relax from tech). Digital breaks don’t truly let the brain rest.
• Digital burnout
• Challenge of remaining human in a digital world

Digital Safety and Privacy Issues

There are numerous safety concerns relative to digital behaviors. Young people, in particular, do not have the maturity to internalize the fact that there are individuals who are predatory on the web. Even when told about people impersonating another to make one feel safe, children tend not to believe there is potential danger. Young people are also less inhibited regarding posting personal information or pictures.

Digital Footprint

Youth tend not to realize the critical nature of what they post and how what they share creates a digital footprint that can follow them through adulthood and affect their access to important necessities such as housing or employment. There are also dangers related to information being used and resulting in negative outcomes such as harassment, hacking, or phishing. Many people think that restricting content shared on social media sites can protect their privacy; however, shared information can still be accessible and a risk to privacy regardless of privacy settings. Individuals have lost job opportunities and also have been let go as a result of inappropriate digital use, even if it occurred in the past.

Location Tracking

A number of apps have location capability and allow others to view where you are at any given time via your posts or your smartphone. Unfortunately, there are individuals who will utilize your information to engage in illicit behavior. Burglaries take place at residences of individuals who have posted that they are out of town on vacation. Sadly enough, thieves will even look at funeral notices to see when a house will likely be vacant. Location information has also been utilized by domestic abusers who are looking to locate their partner.

Distracted Driving

Using a smartphone while driving is dangerous as it distracts the driver from the road. Distracted driving occurs any time you take your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off your primary task: driving safely. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of being involved in a motor vehicle crash1 and significantly increases the risk of injury or death for the driver and others. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of car crashes and fatalities has increased significantly.

Why are phones so distracting?

Talking and texting on a phone are driving distractions. Texting while driving is especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distractions. Hands-free phones are not the solution. Research shows that they are just as distracting as handheld phones.

Your brain has a limited capacity for attention. Any non-driving task you perform while behind the wheel reduces the amount of attention available to you for detecting and reacting to potential dangers on the road.

• Looking away for just a few seconds? At 60 miles per hour, a vehicle travels the length of an American football field in 3.4 seconds.
• Research has shown that drivers who are using cell phones may be looking at but failing to see up to 50% of the information in their driving environment. Usually, the driver’s “field of view” is narrowed to what is directly in front of them. As a result, the missing 50% of information may include a stop sign, a stopped vehicle, or a child.^[9]

Cyberbullying –

Cyberbullying has also been a continued concern for parents and educators, who cannot monitor what they cannot see. We have seen examples of problematic responses and interactions online and it seems a bit like the wild wild west. We see individuals respond with rude, angry, offensive comments. Being behind a device instead of in person has exacerbated this issue. Both youth and adults are engaging in this.

In some highly publicized cases, it has become apparent that cyberbullying, which teens can engage with in the comfort of their own home and is notoriously difficult for adults to monitor and control, can result in suicide. In addition to cyberbullying, there is the negative effect of constantly looking at social media posts showing “perfect” lives. Suicide rates have gone up after a two decade decline, which correlates with increased cell phone and social media use among teens.

Peer Judgment – Device Status

Individuals have experienced years of judgement by others based on physical appearance, the clothes we wear, and other qualities and material possessions. “Type or brand of digital device” is now added to the list of what people are judged and bullied for. Many youth feel tremendous pressure based on whether or not they have a device and the type of device they have. Research has begun showing that a number of iPhone users indeed judge Android users and vice versa with Android users judging iPhone users as well.

Sexting

The practice of creating and sharing sexual images via technological devices, known as sexting, has received increased attention in the past years, especially due to the increase of adolescent engagement in this behavior. Although consensual sexting is not necessarily a crime, some research has shown it has the potential to be a risky behavior, and a threshold to get exposure to dangerous kinds of victimization as sextortion, online grooming or cyberbullying. In this context, teenagers represent a vulnerable group due to their limited ability of self-regulation, their high susceptibility to peer pressure and their growing sexual curiosity.^[10]

Sexting is a commonly occurring sexual behavior among youth (Madigan, Ly, Rash, Van Ouytsel, & Temple, 2018). Meta-analysis has shown that youth who sexted were four times more likely than youth who did not sext to engage in sexual intercourse, five times more likely to have multiple sexual partners, and half as likely to use contraception (Mori, Temple, Browne, & Madigan, 2019). These findings lead to presumptions that youth sexting is universally harmful (Temple, Strasburger, Zimmerman, & Madigan, 2019). However, existing research shows that sexting behaviors do not apply to all adolescents (Bianchi, Morelli, Baiocco, & Chirumbolo, 2019a; Delevi & Weisskirch, 2013; Dir et al., 2013). Assessments of individual differences are crucial to gaining a comprehensive understanding of adolescent online sexual communication. Not all youth who are sexting are having sex. There should be consideration of adolescents as individuals, with education that teaches youth about sexuality and digital wellness.^[11]

Nudes

The sharing of nude photos (as part of sexting) has increased significantly with digital technology. Youth and adults have shared nude photos with regret following negative consequences. Although initially sent to a trusted individual, there are a number of scenarios that can change the relationship. There are countless stories of a person sharing another’s nude photos resulting in significant psychological impact. There have also been scenarios where nudes shared negatively impacted employment. Despite the potential negative consequences, internet searches on the topic bring up a number of articles in the lay press that give advice regarding how to share nudes safely, supporting normalization of the behavior.^[12]

Revenge porn is the term used for sexually explicit imagery that was stolen or shared without consent. Many academics and activists argue that the term “revenge porn” is misleading, as many perpetrators are not motivated by retaliation and that the term implies victim-blaming. They state that the correct term should be image-based abuse, image-based sexual abuse, or non-consensual pornography. Revenge porn occurs when a person uploads nude/semi-nude photos of someone online, often after a relationship has ended. Thus, revenge porn is included under the umbrella of nonconsensual pornography, but non-consensual pornography does not always include revenge porn.

Research has revealed that victims of revenge porn experienced negative outcomes such as; trust issues, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and several other mental health effects.

Similarities between revenge porn and sexual assault^[13]

Protecting Yourself from “Revenge Porn” or Image Abuse

Although the responsibility to prevent non-consensual pornography lies with those who violate another’s consent and privacy, and not with the victim, steps can be taken to help prevent its occurrence.

• Be familiar with the policies for the apps or platforms you use
• Be selective about who you share your images with
• Check your privacy settings
• Help others by reporting image abuse and refusing to share images The Federal Trade Commission offers assistance if you are a victim of non-consensual pornography.

Stalking

Stalking is any repeated and unwanted contact with you that makes you feel unsafe.3 You can be stalked by a stranger, but most stalkers are people you know — even an intimate partner. Stalking may get worse or become violent over time. Stalking may also be a sign of an abusive relationship.

Someone who is stalking you may threaten your safety by clearly saying they want to harm you. Some stalkers harass you with less threatening but still unwanted contact. The use of technology to stalk, sometimes called “cyberstalking,” involves using the Internet, email, or other electronic communications to stalk someone. Stalking and cyberstalking can lead to sleeping problems or problems at work or school. Stalking is against the law.

What are some examples of cyberstalking?

• Sending unwanted, frightening, or obscene emails, or text messages
• Harassing or threatening you on social media
• Tracking your computer and internet use
• Using technology such as GPS to track where you are

What can I do if someone is cyberstalking me?

• Send the person one clear, written warning not to contact you again.
• If they contact you again after you’ve told them not to, do not respond.
• Print out copies of evidence such as emails or screenshots of your phone. Keep a record of the stalking and any contact with police.
• Report the stalker to the authority in charge of the site or service where the stalker contacted you. For example, if someone is stalking you through Facebook, report them to Facebook.
• If the stalking continues, get help from the police. You also can contact a domestic violence shelter and the National Center for Victims of Crime Helpline  for support and suggestions.
• Consider blocking messages from the harasser.
• Change your email address or screen name.
• Never post online profiles or messages with details that someone could use to identify or locate you (such as your age, sex, address, workplace, phone number, school, or places you hang out). For more information or emotional support, call the Stalking Resource Center National Center for Victims of Crime Helpline at 800-FYI-CALL (394-2255), Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.