Improving wellbeing by reducing screen time

It’s a common problem – many children and teenagers are addicted to their screens, which has been linked to depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

To help parents navigate this problem KDS has introduced a new wellbeing program, Ctrl Alt Del – where each family can commit to reducing social media and technology use in the lives of their children. It was launched on May 14 with a panel event comprising KDS vice-principal David Opat, KDS wellbeing coordinator Chanie Stock, TV host Charlie Pickering, and doctor and wellness expert Dr Elise Bialylew.

Author of The Happiness Plan’, Bialylew explained the science behind the addiction of social media.

“I don’t know if parents really understand that they are actually addicted [to social media] neurobiologically, in the same way that a drug addict is addicted to drugs or a gambler is addicted to gambling … Social media, like any other addiction really hacks into the reward circuitry of the brain … when you get the likes … you’re getting dopamine released and dopamine is a pleasure molecule, but … it doesn’t lead to satisfaction. What it actually does is drive desire and craving so that you constantly need more.

“As we saturate the brain in dopamine from these external sources our body wants to find balance, and so we actually stop producing dopamine in the body and that’s causing this withdrawal … so they actually have a compulsive need to have more and more so that they can avoid the discomfort of that withdrawal.