The frontal lobe in the brain is responsible for memory, motor function, problem-solving, judgment, and social behavior; essentially, it is a key part of human activity. However, with technology becoming as prominent in daily life as ever, the impact of smartphones, computers, and artificial intelligence is surely damaging. The hyperarousal (intense brain activity) that is connected to screen usage suppresses the frontal lobe, causing an appalling array of negative effects, according to Psychology Today.

These same negative effects are noticeable especially in teenagers, whose brains are not fully developed and who are the most common demographic associated with excessive screen time. Unfortunately, according to the Johns Hopkins Medical Review, teenage anxiety and depression are on the rise: there was been a 37 percent increase in diagnoses between 2005 and 2014. Although mental health issues have genetic causes, many of the triggers for symptoms to arise are caused by the environment an individual is in. An environment where smartphones are in use for hours a day (when a student isn’t staring at a computer completing homework that is located increasingly online) can overstimulate the brain and cause prominent issues with anxiety and clinical depression. A study conducted by psychology professors Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell found that after only an hour of screen time a day, people ages two to 17 experienced lower well-being, including less curiosity, lower self-control, less emotional stability and a greater inability to finish tasks. Undeniably, the results of screen time — specifically, in teenagers — are a great threat to those who are affected, which cannot be ignored at the risk of jeopardizing their mental health.

Sleep disruption is also connected to adolescents who spend long periods of time in front of a screen.  Children as young as 2 years old begin to experience these effects, they lack performance in school and in some cases experience weight gain which leads to other health issues and a poor body image. The disruption of sleep is connected to mood disorders and low levels of dopamine which is a neurotransmitter that emits the chemicals for happiness, according to All About Vision. In a two year study, more than 2,500 students who announced they spent a greater time with their phones were more susceptible to the Attention Deficit Disorder.

Although all these new advancements of laptops and phones are useful to the youth in numerous ways: they are also immensely destructive to their social and empathetic skills. Many parents use their phone or a tablet to distract their children. This only leads to the constant dependence on a device and increasing ignorance of their surroundings as they grow up. It also affects parents relationships with their children: communication falters, trust weakens and affection shortens. When children reach their teenage years, parents wonder and criticize their kid’s lack of attention. There’s a stigma around teenagers being lazy and detached, but this is largely due to the reliance on their phones. All About Vision reports that children 2-4 years olds are spending 2.5 hours per day using a device and the amount of time only rises as they age.

Many adults attempt to blame the foolishness of the youth on the corrupting influence of their little talking boxes, their phones and tablets, infiltrating their mind and poisoning their brain. However, these prejudices are rightfully unfounded. The truth about the influence of exposure to screens can mostly be seen as beneficial.

There are trifling reasons to fear the prolonged exposure to Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens and the use of phones, such as the loss of sleep and concentration when used too close to bedtime, or the depreciation of some social capability. On the other hand, there are myriad benefits to children and teens relying on their devices.

One such reason is the decrease in anxiety proven to result directly from screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics loosened its stance on how much screen time is detrimental to students after a surgeon used tablets to decrease the anxiety in the children they had to operate on. Before the procedure, the surgeon would give the child a tablet with many games installed on it, while they injected a sedative. While many children would be filled to the brim with anxiety during this time, the blood pressure of the screen-focused children was much lower than those without. Even after the surgery, they would give the children the same tablets while administering IV fluids and injections. The introduction of screens into the pre- and post-operational process was proved to lower blood pressure and anxiety more than the normal, pre-operational sedative, Valium, could. Even the adults and guardians of the children reported feeling less anxious about their child’s surgery when they were able to watch their child play on a screen. 

A new study by the Review of General Psychology magazine outlined the benefits of playing calming video games on devices, like Minecraft. This paper detailed that Minecraft actually drastically lowered children’s feelings of anxiety and depression during and after their play session. These studies into the benefits of screen time for the reduction of anxiety in children help break the preconceived villainy of the screens we spend so much of our lives behind.

Although the youth are perceived to be most at risk to the detriments of screen time, the impressionable nature of young people allows limited screen time — with occasional parental supervision — to be a learning opportunity for viewers into their early teenage years.