The Terrible Costs of a Phone-Based Childhood

boem@lemmy.world to Technology@lemmy.world – 202 points –
The Terrible Costs of a Phone-Based Childhood
theatlantic.com

By a variety of measures and in a variety of countries, the members of Generation Z (born in and after 1996) are suffering from anxiety, depression, self-harm, and related disorders at levels higher than any other generation for which we have data.

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Dismissing the role of environmental factors in ADHD overlooks the basic science that our behaviours and surroundings can fundamentally alter brain function. It's a leap to equate cautious exploration of these effects with debunked myths.

What else? Environmental factors cause Autism too? Maybe they cause homosexuality as well? If you think this is the case either make studies or point to studies that base this theory. Just because environmental factors can alter brain function, it doesn't mean every disorder or behaviour is potentially generated by environmental factors!

Is this really your response?

Nobody said environmental factors "cause ADHD"; this debate is about whether environmental factors can amplify presentation of executive dysfunction type symptoms in the genetically predisposed.

Just because environmental factors can alter brain function, it doesn't mean every disorder or behaviour is potentially generated by environmental factors!

No, but it does mean that it is incredibly unlikely that they are not sometimes exacerbated by environmental factors.

Nobody said environmental factors “cause ADHD”; this debate is about whether environmental factors can amplify presentation of executive dysfunction type symptoms in the genetically predisposed.

You're not "genetically predisposed" to ADHD. It's not an allergy or cancer. Either you have it, or you don't.

No, but it does mean that it is incredibly unlikely that they are not sometimes exacerbated by environmental factors.

Everything is exacerbated by environmental factors. Why single out ADHD here?

Environmental factors (screen time) while a child's sensory apparatus is not fully developed has been linked to development of ADHD and Autism.

https://www.earth.com/news/toddler-screen-time-linked-to-atypical-sensory-behaviors/

"Linked" is a stretch. From that article (which is about <2 yo btw) it is talking about a mere correlation of a behaviour which might (they don't know) exacerbate ADHD or Autistic people. If I understood it correctly, It's also a study based on self-reporting from caretakers

It's also a study based on self-reporting from caretakers

Is this better or worse than other forms of self-reporting?

As cool as technologies like fMRI are, we have not reached any meaningful degree of objectivity in most psychological/neurological pursuits.