Introduction
Smartphones and computers are an integral part of teenagers’ lives nowadays. Nevertheless, scientists have concluded that excessive fascination with it harms the health and well-being of the younger generation. Increased screen time affects the psychosomatic, cognitive and physical health of teenagers. Overuse of electronic devices has previously been linked to obesity, depression, sleep problems, cardiovascular problems and quality of life. Thus, it causes multiple problems with different characteristics depending on age. Increased screen time affects adolescent development by increasing inconsistencies between the standard of the age group and reality.
Key Aspects of Normal Development that Occur in the Adolescence
Psychosocial Domain
Numerous cognitive, physical and psycho-emotional development changes characterize adolescence as a life stage. In adolescence, there is an expansion of abilities and thinking processes, leading to the growth of consciousness, imagination, judgment and intuition. Cognitive development during adolescence is characterized by abstract thinking and increasing use of metacognition (Dennen et al., 2020). These processes influence the boundaries and content of adolescent memory, ways of solving problems, patterns of thinking in social contexts and making moral judgments. There is an active accumulation of knowledge, opening up various questions and problems that enrich and complicate adolescents’ lives.
Physical Domain
Physiologically, adolescence ranks with the embryonic period and the period of infancy as a time of highly rapid biological change. The biological attributes of adolescence are the marked acceleration of growth, the rapid development of reproductive organs, and the appearance of secondary sex characteristics such as body hair and increased muscle and fat mass. Physical activity is critical during adolescence because it promotes proper metabolism, skeletal development and immune system formation (Bee et al., 2003). Height, weight, and complexion are significant sources of concern for adolescents, regardless of gender.
Cognitive Domain
Adolescence is characterized by an increase in cognitive activity and the expansion of cognitive interests. Under the influence of learning, assimilation of more generalized knowledge and bases of sciences, the higher mental functions are gradually transformed into well-organized, arbitrarily controlled processes. Perception becomes selective, purposeful, analytical and synthetic activity (Dennen et al., 2020). All essential parameters of attention are qualitatively improved: volume, stability, intensity, and ability to distribute and switch. Logical operations internally mediate memory, memorization and reproduction acquire a semantic character (Bee et al., 2003). Adolescents actively seek out friends, figure out relationships, and change companies.
Developmental Abnormalities in Adolescents Caused by Increased Screen Time
Cognitive Abnormalities
The moment a teenager begins to use gadgets for study, communication, entertainment and recreation, ones contact with the outside world rapidly weakens. It becomes increasingly challenging to re-establish this communication (Górnicka et al., 2020). Still, a virtual environment can not give the same number of stimuli to the brain and psyche as a natural environment with live communication, movement, emotions and sensory experience. A separate danger is social media, in which youngsters may encounter perceptions of appearances that do not correspond to reality. The more live interaction is replaced by screen time, the fewer opportunities teenagers have to get the stimulation they need to develop (Donen et al., 2020). Teens who spend more than two hours a day watching TV, video games or other gadgets are less able to deal with emotions, have a more challenging time making social contacts and are more prone to addictions.
Psychosocial Abnormalities
As a result of increased screen time, teenagers do not know how to separate necessary and valuable information from empty and unnecessary media content. They lose the ability to perform linear actions since it is impossible to focus on a single task, and their minds quickly become overworked and are in constant tension (Górnicka et al., 2020). Teenagers perceive a considerable flow of information in images and bright spots, thereby preventing its over-abundance. However, the increased screen time makes it challenging to analyze events because the images quickly replace each other. A person with digital dementia has impaired brain activity, which decreases memory and concentration (Donen et al., 2020). The younger generation should absorb new information like a sponge, but they can only find information without developing their thinking. If the organ is not used, it dies, which is why digital dementia is vital to treat and prevent to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence.
Physical Abnormalities
Increased screen time negatively affects children’s physical development and leads to numerous disorders. Recommendations related to coping with hypokinesia should focus more explicitly on all types of inactive behaviors and, therefore, have a more significant impact on the risk of chronic diseases associated with physical inactivity (Górnicka et al., 2020). Excessively prolonged watching of a video terminal screen or television, regardless of children’s level of physical activity, is associated with an increased risk of developing noncommunicable diseases, psychological problems, and all causes of death (Dennen et al., 2020). Daily overuse of screen time improves the risk of compulsive overeating and other eating disorders. Watching TV while eating leads to a loss of physical awareness. A sedentary lifestyle causes retardation and the development of handicap diseases, which are not typical for adolescents.
The Theory of Human Development Through Successive Stages
Personality develops through successive stages of life. According to Erik Erikson, there are some obligatory and successive stages in personality development that everyone must go through (Maree, 2022). As a developmental paradigm, it is a ladder, and one’s safe passage is usually determined by how well one has passed the previous stages of development and by the well-being of the social environment. Moreover, the theory assumes that some stages of development corresponding to age and the successful passage of each affect all future results. This theory can be applied to the problem of increased screen time and its consequences in adolescents’ later life. Screen time affects developmental deviations, which in turn can affect personal growth. Erikson described what happens in the spontaneous development of personality, including elements of personal degradation (Maree, 2022). If a developed person can build oneself consciously and be the author of one’s life, it is unknown whether people who have not passed one of the stages safely can achieve this.
Strategies That a Future Nurse Can Incorporate into the Practice
A nurse’s profession involves dealing with patients who experience various negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, negativism, and anger due to their painful condition. It, in turn, can lead to aggressiveness and increased conflict. Therefore, one of the crucial techniques is a conflict management strategy. It can be applied by joint action with the other person, involving concessions in their interest (Wei et al., 2019). It is vital to use a middle ground to find a combination of benefits and losses for both sides. One of the other methods is the use of the virtual nursing model. In virtual nursing, technology is enacted, clinical decision-making processes are supported, continuity of care is guaranteed, and patients are safer (Wei et al., 2019). It can be implemented by creating an environment that facilitates the technical experience and supports nurses’ vigilance and activity.
Conclusion
Increased screen time is directly related to negative aspects of adolescent development. Deviations are noted both in the physical, psychosocial and cognitive spheres. Adolescence is a crucial stage during which many skills, systems, opinions, and habits are formed. Considering Erik Erikson’s theory of human development, such deviations can negatively affect the entire future. Therefore, adolescents should focus on their health and control their time using gadgets.
References
Bee, H. L., Johnson, P. A., Starke, F. A., & Boyd, D. R. (2003). Lifespan Development, Canadian Third Edition: TestGen 4.0, QuizMaster 3.0. Pearson Education Canada.
Dennen, V. P., Choi, H., & Word, K. (2020). Social media, teenagers, and the school context: A scoping review of research in education and related fields. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68, 1635-1658. Web.
Górnicka, M., Hamulka, J., Wadolowska, L., Kowalkowska, J., Kostyra, E., Tomaszewska, M., & Bronkowska, M. (2020). Activity–inactivity patterns, screen time, and physical activity: the association with overweight, central obesity and muscle strength in Polish teenagers. Report from the ABC of healthy eating study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), 7842. Web.
Maree, J. G. (2022). The psychosocial development theory of Erik Erikson: critical overview. The Influence of Theorists and Pioneers on Early Childhood Education, 119-133.
Wei, H., Roberts, P., Strickler, J., & Corbett, R. W. (2019). Nurse leaders’ strategies to foster nurse resilience. Journal of nursing management, 27(4), 681-687. Web.