TEEN MEDIA ABUSE IN MARIN

Media abuse among youth has become extremely prevalent. Many youth in Marin have constant access to cell phones, video games and computers and don’t know how to regulate their own use.  It’s common for teens to stare at a screen for hours at a time. This behavior has many consequences including the negative impact on a young person’s sleep cycle and their brain development. Staring at computers and televisions releases the same neurotransmitters that are stimulated during drug use and it can become an obsessive, habitual behavior that is difficult to overcome in adulthood.  Other resulting problems can include: obesity from lack of physical activity, decreased attention span and heightened sensitivity and anxiety in response to environmental stress.

Doing too many things at once—talking on the phone and “IM”ing while trying to do their homework—impedes academic performance and keeps teens feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. This makes it challenging to create and sustain meaningful interpersonal relationships, especially with their families.

In order to become healthy adults, teens need to learn to regulate their desires and impulses. Without external limits, they become distracted and unable to focus or follow through with tasks. They need their parents and other adults to set balanced guidelines that create positive habits before it becomes addictive.

Call for a free initial phone consultation: 415-360-5445