New Year's: Mind, Brain and 'Tech Health'

Why A 'Tech Diet' Should Be Your New Year's Resolution- Just like the food we eat impacts our bodies, technology affects our minds. Here is how you can have a healthy relationship with tech. Dec. 27, 2018. EXCERPTS:



- Subway commuters, Tokyo. Life in the 21st cent. is defined by our constant exposure to & use of personal technologies.

On a typical day, internet users spend an average of 6.5 hours online, according to a survey of 34 countries by the consumer data firm GlobalWebIndex. Users in Thailand, the Philippines and Brazil report spending over 9 hours connected, per the survey. And 1/3 of time online is now spent on social media.

- What does tech do to your brain?: The impact of technology on our physical and mental health is still the subject of scientific studies. Shimi Kang, a Canadian psychiatrist who specialises in child & adolescent mental health, focusing on addiction: 'Technology is increasingly being linked to anxiety, depression, body image disturbance, *internet addiction disorder has now become a medical diagnosis.'

But just as there are healthy foods, super foods & junk foods, there are several types of technology. We need to understand how they impact our brains. How your brain reacts to tech- Kang says our brain 'metabolises' technology by generally releasing 6 different types of *neurochemicals into our bodies:

• Serotonin - Released when we are creative, connected, and contributing.
• Endorphins - The "painkiller" of the body. Released when we experience mindfulness, meditation, gratitude, and cardiovascular exercise.
• Oxytocin - Released when we have exchanges in a meaningful connection. It is generally healthy but online predators can tap into its effects to abuse their victim's trust.
*• Dopamine - A pleasure neurochemical linked with instant reward but also addiction. Technology is increasingly being designed to specifically trigger the release of dopamine.
*• Adrenaline - Best known for regulating our responses in fight-or-flight situations, but also released by likes and pokes on social media.
*• Cortisol - The hallmark of stressed-out, sleep-deprived, too-busy and distracted individuals.



- Some experts argue that certain phone games are like junk food & should be used more sparingly.

- Healthy, toxic & junk tech: 'Healthy technology is anything that would give us that metabolism of brain-boosting *serotonin, endorphin and/or oxytocin,' Kang says. Examples are meditation apps, creative apps, as well as connection apps that allow us to bond with other people.
But a good dose of habit-forming *dopamine, and you are entering a dangerous territory that can lead to addiction.
Junk technology we might use 'when we're just destructing ourselves' compares with emotional-eating junk food, which 'we do when we're stressed.' The really toxic stuff- pornography, cyber-bulling, gambling, addictive video games designed like slot machines, engaging with hate speech.

- 'Tech Dieting': Any healthy tech diet would stay away from the toxic stuff, says Kang, but a little naughtiness in moderation might be possible. If you are an individual with a *family history of addiction, anxiety, depression, or time-management issues, for example, then you have to be careful, because you are at a higher risk of converting them to the toxic addiction. *Teenagers in particularly are more vulnerable and there is enough research to identity those who are more prone to getting in trouble online...
More, http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20181227-why-a-tech-diet-should-be-your-new-years-resolution



Replace social media that stokes stress & addictive behaviours, w/ meditation, mindfulness or diet monitor apps.