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.