Your Friendly Neighborhood Drug Lord, Technology

As those who know me, I'm quite the avid gamer. I've got thousands of hours under my belt holding a controller or placing my fingers on the keyboard in the "wasd" or "qwer" position. I've got countless games under my belt; gaming has become a part of who I am. So when I talk about a serious problem in our society today, you will need to understand that I, Jake Harris, the self-proclaimed king of games, take a rather interesting stance on a serious topic, one that you might not expect from such an avid gamer. Today on the Takeout menu is the relationship between technology... and your child.

As technology gets stronger and stronger, and as it becomes more and more user-friendly, people become more and more enthralled by the technological marvels these devices represent. Our technological advancement, as it seems, has gotten a little too out of hand, and it's something that we as a society need to become aware of. I'm very serious when I say this: technology is a drug--rather, it has the potential to be. For those who don't have the mental discipline (which children often lack), these activities can be detrimental. Video games are addictive, even simple ones like Candy Crush. Even social media apps such as Facebook or Instagram are dangerously addictive. It's dangerous for people to become complacently reliant on technology--but even more-so is it dangerous for children.

You might have heard how addiction works, but let's go over it for a moment. Whenever you do something that is pleasing to the brain, a chemical is released called "dopamine". This is essentially the "feel-good" neurotransmitter that coerces us to pursue things that we enjoy. Without getting too bogged down with the science behind it, it's essentially your brain giving you a high-five for doing a good job at something. And it's not limited to our usual suspects (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, pornography, gambling, etc.). Let's use an example. I'm a pretty big fan of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I love the candy. So the first time I pop one in, I get that sweet, savory, chocolatey... peanut-buttery... MMMMmmmmm.... 

delicious bite of a Reese's, and my brain releases dopamine, which my dopamine receptors are more-than happy to receive. I should probably wait a while before I have another Reese's because they can be a bit unhealthy. But I remember that really good feeling I had, so naturally I buy 3 more and finish them on the spot before I get to the parking lot after leaving the store, thus sending more dopamine to my head. Let's say that I continue to eat these Reese's Peanut Butter Cups; my brain begins to realize that I've probably had enough, so it begins to shut those dopamine receptors off. The brain still emits dopamine, but the receptors that catch it are shut off so that I won't gain the benefits of that pleasurable act of eating Reese's anymore. The natural reaction then is to try and get more of it in my system because I'm not getting as much of a high as I used to, to the point where I'm shoving peanut butter cups into my mouth by the fist-full, further decreasing the number of dopamine receptors active in my brain. But I really want that feeling, so I keep doing it. I am now addicted to Reese's (Disclaimer: I'm not actually addicted to Reese's, I have very good control over my consumption of the candy product).

Technology works the same way. Social media is one that gets teenagers and adults. For instance, Facebook has the potential to addict people by taking advantage of our "Main Character Syndrome" (remember that article I wrote a while back?). We like to see all the likes our created or shared content gets. We feel good when 80 people like our duck faces that we take while sitting on the toilet, or when we take pictures of our dollar-menu cheeseburger to show everyone what we had for lunch. 

And with the advent of different emotions along with those likes, it becomes even more gratifying. That dopamine rush floods our brains, and we essentially begin riding the high--and continue to ride it. This is dangerous to our physical, mental, emotional, and social health. Video games are also addictive in this sense. When you get to be the main character with super awesome powers who gets to run around beating up bad guys or defeating online opponents, we get that squirt of dopamine. This is not only addictive, but also invites very bad behavior: the concept of instant gratification. Things like getting likes or beating a video game boss give us immediate pleasure and it becomes easier to attain it than working hard for something and being patient about it. Our brains are unintentionally trained to believe that if the end result isn't in sight, it isn't worth our time. If you can imagine the danger that poses to rational adults, imagine the number it can do on children.

I love children. Their minds are so unique and lively! Honestly, children and pets make better companions than most adults. Because of my love for children, I've taken special interest in child psychology and the development of their brains. So with that, let's dive into child psychology for a moment. From the time of birth to around the time they become toddlers, they go through a sensation phase where they get their bearings of everything around them. They don't understand what things are; in fact, it's this reason they obsessively put things in their mouths, so that they can try to understand what the things around them are. When objects or people disappear, it ceases to exist in their minds; it's literally an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. From the time that they're toddlers to around the age of 9, they begin what's called an assimilation phase (WE ARE THE BORG), where the children focus on learning what is acceptable to do and what is not. 

Here is an absolutely crucial part of a child's development, as the activities they engage in will determine how they handle tasks when they later develop into the concrete logic phase, around the age of 12. While in the assimilation phase (YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED), children don't have an ironclad understanding of the world--hence our tireless campaign on making sure they look both ways when crossing the street, because they often forget to do that thing we as adults know is the obvious thing to do. While in the assimilation phase (YOUR BIOLOGICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DISTINCTIVENESS WILL BE ADDED TO OUR OWN), activities such as going outside, doing chores, studying homework, practicing pianos, and having social interactions with other children is absolutely paramount to the development to a young mind. If they are constantly given instant gratification and continue to saturate their brains with dopamine during their assimilation phase (RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!)(Okay, I'm done now...) then they have essentially learned that instant gratification is the only way to live, making life all the more difficult for them--because we all know that life isn't a simple app of Angry Birds.

With instant gratification, children grow up having difficulty with professionalism, studying, working, finances--just to name a few. The people of my generation are finishing college and then getting hired on at any given establishment with the blunt and overt impression that they will have their boss's job in 6 months. Fresh out of high school, they believe they can have anything they want because the want it, and when reality smacks them in the face they realize that they can't in fact have anything they want just because they really want it. They think that since they're brand-new adults they can do anything they want with a paycheck, but when all the bills come in and they don't have the ability to pay them, reality double-slaps them again. People can't afford their rent but make sure they get the newest and bluest iPhone every 6 months; "Buyer's Remorse" is becoming more and more 

I don't care what you say Judy; this movie is awesome!

commonplace in America--and what's even scarier is that it's Buyer's Remorse without the remorse! They can't afford these things that grant them instant gratification and they sometimes don't even care! And it's partially thanks to the technology of which we've become all-too reliant on this side of the millennium. Kids hooked on technology grow up thinking that life will be a breeze because everything else they grew up knowing and loving was. Life is harder than that; it requires more effort, patience, and time. Those who weren't brought up knowing how to handle that are completely cracking under the pressure, and it's extremely evident in today's young society. We are witnessing the largest wave of depression ever recorded in history, and it's because at a young age we have grown accustomed to reliance on our dopamine rushes which cripple our children's ability to appreciate things that take time and effort to achieve. My generation was born with technology--the kids popping up today are born in it. Imagine how much more difficult it will be on the children who are glued to their parents' smart phones grow up.

Earlier today I saw a video about this very concept and have admittedly parroted a few of the things it brought up (but in far more and accurate detail), which is what inspired my article. In the video, it explained right from the beginning that children's reliance on technology was promoting self-destructive behavior, to the point of even saying that a child's brain on Minecraft was identical to a child's brain on cocaine. 

I'm in almost-complete agreement with the video's message. But I will play Devil's Advocate for a moment and say that this video does exaggerate a little. Saying that "a kid's brain on Minecraft is like a kid's brain on cocaine" is a bit... excessive. Especially since it's Minecraft that's being used as an example, I could just as easily present the counterargument that a child's brain on Legos is like a child's brain on cocaine--and I've never once heard an article claiming that Legos were destroying our children's minds. While technically the message is true and I do advocate for more control over children's electronic time, electronic devices are not nearly as addictive as cocaine. With drugs like cocaine and crystal meth, it's a "not even once or you're hooked" situation. With electronic devices, it's less addictive and far more incognito than Walter White's blue rock candy--not only that, but technology has the infinite potential to be far more useful and positive than a drug.

That, however, does not disqualify the points in the video I watched.

Electronics are still scientifically (and psychologically) proven to be addictive and shouldn't substitute as a babysitter, friend, normal playtime activity, or parent. 

Parenting is a huge responsibility, and while it's easier to just plop a smart phone in the kids' hands to keep them quiet for a few hours, it can be detrimental to child psychology if not controlled--and it's been proven, not by science, but by the attitudes of the kids of my generation. Gratification should be a tool we use to encourage hard work, patience, and critical thinking. By giving them devices that make gratification instant, we are weakening the position that "nothing good is ever freely given", a critical concept that needs to be ingrained in a child's mind while they are still young. While children are most vulnerable, due to them still in the assimilation phase of their development where they learn behaviors that become patterns virtually set in stone during their concrete logic phase, they're not the only ones in danger of this trend. Younger generations show that they too are having difficulty grasping the concepts of mental discipline when it comes to instant gratification, and that is scary for our society, as we are essentially handing the baton to these people who don't know how to win the marathon.

So how do we fix it? Pretty much the exact same way we fix virtually all of our social problems: strong, core family values. Parental involvement. Going outside and playing. Getting exercise. Social interactions with real people. A student of mine said something today that was so profound that my jaw literally dropped, and it must be quoted: "To live happy lives we need a social connection, not an internet connection." 
Holy smokes! That sent shivers down my spine! I'm not saying that we need to take away all of our kids' technology and send them away to Amish Camp for the summer. What parents do need to do is regulate how much of it their kids are getting. By letting them play those games constantly, we are missing out on an excellent opportunity to teach them how to earn that instant gratification so it isn't so instant. Imagine how much more productive our kids would be if they learned that they had to earn that time to play Minecraft? Make sure that our kids get more outside and/or friend time than they do YouTube time. More importantly, make sure that you are playing with them and interacting with them. Children are victims of more than just technology; they are victims of their parents being victims of technology! Scroll down that Facebook wall after you've spent some time building a fort or playing catch with your children (I mean by throwing the ball to them; DO NOT THROW YOUR CHILDREN!). It's not only good for them--it's essential.

I leave with a quote, one that is perhaps even more pertinent today, and should extend beyond just the internet, but to all modern technology: "The internet is the first thing mankind has created that mankind cannot understand, the greatest experiment in anarchy that we've ever had." ~ Eric Schmidt, a Google founder. While the quote is targeted at anonymity on the internet, it also can extend to how much we rely on technology and the dire consequences for not controlling ourselves with such wonderful devices. Mental discipline NEEDS to be commonplace if we're to avoid becoming the society in Woody Allen's "Sleeper". Maybe not to that extent, but that film is ABSOLUTELY relevant to our time, and I recommend watching it.

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