The way to help a new generation break digital (bad) habits

When ESPAD reported their latest study of 16-year-old students' drug habits in 35 countries, it was obvious that Swedish youths consume less alcohol and cannabis than their European peers. So far, so good, but if we add our young people's rapidly increasing screen time - currently more than seven hours per day, not counting schoolwork - the sum of our bad habits seems constant. So are ESPAD's results primarily an indication on how far mobile phones have advanced their positions on the Swedish map of dependene?

“I would like to start by distinguishing an addiction from a bad habit. For example, we often hear about compulsive buying disorders, but has anyone really vomited into convulsions from cutting down on their shopping? Just as little, we can develop a dependency on our mobile phones. Of course, what happens on the screen can trigger the dopamine system and be difficult to switch off, but we still don't know exactly how it affects our brains,” says Mathias Hallberg, Professor of Molecular research on drug dependence.

To define an addiction, we turn to the WHO diagnosis manual that specify six criteria - Strong need, Difficulty to control consumption, Withdrawal symptoms, Adaptation, Increasing lack of interest in anything other than the substance and Continued consumption despite damage - of which three must be met in the last year to count as addiction. After many years of only covering substance addictions, the latest edition, ICD-11, includes both Gambling and Gaming disorders. Does this imply that screen usage might be the next addition?

“It is difficult to answer, but a thought experiment is to exchange, for example, alcohol for TikTok and apply WHO's criteria. Is my tolerance increasing so I watch more movies than before? Do I keep watching despite neglecting other things? Will I get withdrawal-like reactions if I cannot access TikTok? If we answer "yes" to that, we could, in theory, classify as addicts. But again: We are not there yet,” reasons Mathias Hallberg.

In order to prevent any possible future digital addictions, WHO presented guidelines for children and adolescent’s screen time in 2019. In Sweden, it took another five years before the Public Health Agency followed suit, but this September they recommended that young people between the ages of 13 and 18 should not use screens more than three hours per day. However, the reality - as already noted - looks quite different, so what can parents do to help young people in need of breaking digital habits?

“Counting hours can give some guidance, but my wish is that both adults and teens take the time to actually read the Public Health Authority's recommendations, that offer several important facts and advice that I feel were lost in the media's reporting. With the right knowledge, discussions about what is actually reasonable screen time can make a difference,” says Mathias Hallberg.

Monday 18 November, Mathias Hallberg will participate in the Faculty of Pharmacy's new initiative Kunskap för livet. Here, frontline experts, high school students and teachers will meet in the Uppsala University Main Auditorium to generate motivation to choose a sustainable lifestyle. With his presentation Dependence for a new generation, Mathias aims to highlight the risks that come with picking up unhealthy habits at a young age, but also convey pointers to the right direction forward:

“We are all differently well equipped to resist potential addictions, which, somewhat simplified, is defined by our genetics, social environment and how much we use a drug. On the other hand, there are methods that can help all of us, for example, I hope that both schools and families will discover the Public Health Agency's Day Wheel. But regardless of which tools we use, it is necessary that we together help the younger generations to find a balance in their everyday lives where they feel good and develop their full potential.”

Text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt a o