- Mental Health specialists assure that rates of anxiety and depression in children and young people have increased considerably in recent years, and that social networks and “connection” through any device, including video games, cause these symptoms to worsen.
- In the era of Artificial Intelligence, they insist on the importance of digital and emotional education, encouraging critical thinking, locating safe and reliable sources of information, valuing different points of view and always promoting respect for others.
- They remember that AI “facilitates and scripts” us the path to follow, but in children it can affect them on a cognitive and emotional level, and limit imagination and creativity.
Valencia, January 15 2024 – Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men have brought thousands of electronic devices into homes this year, from phones and smart watches, connected to the internet, to consoles where online games are a success. In this context, psychologists from several health centers in the group Ribera They warn: “More time on social networks and the Internet means greater isolation and a greater possibility of developing mental disorders.”
The team of hospital psychologists Ribera Polusa and the Santo Domingo Polusa Clinic, Lucía Arza, Cristina López Mouriz, Lucía Fernández and Belén Vázquez, assures that “clinical practice shows that the rates of anxiety and depression in young people have increased considerably in recent years, and social networks cause that this symptomatology worsens.” “Using internet platforms and applications on a daily basis, seeing friends or idols actively enjoying parties or eternally on vacation in unrealistic images generates the feeling that things are being lost in a falsely idyllic world,” they explain, which represents “a danger for their self-esteem and can manifest itself in the form of emotional disorders such as anxiety, stress and depression, among others.”
Mercedes Maruenda, child and adolescent psychologist from Practitioner, a subsidiary of the Ribera group in Cartagena, remembers that Artificial Intelligence is a technology that has been part of our lives for years, such as recommendations on television or music platforms, or on social networks, although it is acquiring more presence in different areas. But he adds that “since AI “facilitates and scripts” us the path to follow, this can affect children on a cognitive and emotional level, in addition to limiting imagination and creativity, not to mention the dependency it generates, for the multitude of stimuli it offers.” Furthermore, he adds, “dependency can isolate them from the real world, at a stage in which relationships with the peer group are essential, and limits healthy emotional development.
Tips for digital education
In the era of Artificial Intelligence, Ribera Polusa psychologists insist on the importance of digital and emotional education to help, especially minors, protect themselves from the negative consequences of false publications and not be manipulated by this type of contents. In his opinion, it is also key to maintain open parent-child communication, validate their emotions and offer them support whenever they need it, in addition to “teaching them to know and value their own qualities and achievements, regardless of the approval of others, strengthening their self-esteem, and teach them the importance of managing their privacy.”
The Mental Health specialists of the Ribera group also strongly recommend encouraging critical thinking, locating safe and reliable sources of information, valuing different points of view and always promoting respect for others. “So that the minor reacts to the fake news In a critical, reflective and prudent manner, it is key that we teach them these resources, analyze possible fake news together and facilitate the reading of content appropriate to their maturity, with the aim of them becoming autonomous, and being able to differentiate between a hoax and real news. ", they say from Ribera Polusa.
Consequences in children and adolescents
The Spanish Video Game Association assures that 70% of children who use consoles to play video games are between 11 and 14 years old. However, more than half of children between 6 and 11 years old (57%) already spend several hours a week with this type of entertainment. In addition, the majority of children under 11 years of age have a mobile phone and with it, unlimited access to the internet and social networks. The team of psychologists from Ribera Polusa remembers that adolescence “constitutes a great window of neuronal plasticity, where the brain develops to be more effective. This flexibility leaves young people more exposed to external influences, such as the manipulation of images, videos and audios, including artificial intelligence, sometimes causing confusion and affecting them emotionally.
For his part, Juan Pablo López, a psychologist specialized in addictions Ribera Hospital of Molina, assures that “we are seeing an alarming increase in children who come to our consultations with problems putting down their devices, showing aggression, irritability and difficulties in their relationship with their parents and, in some cases, a decrease or delay in language development. ”.
Pomba Liñares, psychiatrist and pediatrician, and Mónica Villar, health psychologist and neuropsychologist, are in charge of the Psychiatry and Child Psychology Unit of the hospital Ribera Povisa, and they assure that in recent years mental health problems in children and adolescents have increased by almost 50% and have worsened, with more depressive symptoms, self-harm and suicidal behavior. They explain that Covid and the months of isolation and restrictions on social contact have had an influence, but the situation has not been reversed after the return to normality in all areas. That is why this Unit was launched in Ribera Povisa, which works jointly with other hospital services such as Pediatrics, Pediatric Neurology, Speech Therapy and Physiotherapy, to facilitate a comprehensive approach to patients. “Approximately half of mental disorders have their debut before the age of 18,” explains Dr. Pomba Liñares, who highlights the relevance of early detection: “Early recognition and adequate management of the first clinical manifestations can determine a change.” essential in the course and prognosis of mental illnesses,” he emphasizes.
