A few months ago, the "NBC Nightly News" ran a very informative
piece on the effects of electronics on the brain of today's
teenager. We all know that teenagers have abundant access to
technology that was considered far-off and space-aged just a few
short years ago. Further, many teens alarm their parents,
concerned that they use computers and cell phones far too often.
And research bears out the excessive use. In the piece, Dr.
Nancy Snyderman states that teens expose themselves to media 7
and a half hours a day, which is alarming enough, but when
multiple devices are taken into effect, that average jumps to 11
hours per day. That's some eye strain! In my clinical practice,
I see frequent referrals in which parents are deeply concerned
with their teen's overuse of electronics. They cite myriad
fears, including stress, lack of attention to schoolwork, too
little face-to-face contact with others, a decrease in social
skills, and brain damage. Their concerns are not wholly
unfounded. In fact, I have worked with