Psychologist: ‘it is the number-one issue our practice deals with today’
Special to the Register by Father Kenneth Borowiak
Lincoln (SNR) – Dr. George Williams spoke Jan. 5 at St. Michael Parish in Lincoln, addressing the ills of social media on individual physical and mental health and on human relationships.
“It is the number-one issue our practice deals with today,” he said.
Dr. Williams is one of 14 psychologists at Behavioral Pediatric & Family Therapy Program in Lincoln.
His talk was the first of four in a series of conferences dealing with mental health issues. The talks are sponsored by the St. Michael School-Family Association (SFA) and Our Lady of Guadalupe Healing Ministry at St. Michael Parish, with additional resources provided by Wal-Mart.
Dr. Williams said young people today struggle to handle normal stress or delayed gratification. He attributed this to the introduction of cell phones and other electronic devices early in a child’s life.
“I have treated kids who are seemingly normal human beings who freak out when their parents take away videogames or other electronics,” he said.
He said repetition of behavior is a real danger of social media. He noted that every screen has an algorithm that keeps people watching.
“That’s why you see ads related to your viewing history pop up on the edge of your screen,” he said. “When our children keep watching the same thing over and over again it robs them of boredom, being creative and the opportunity to socialize.
“Phones force us away from the human component; it takes away human touch, telling stories, reading and bedtime interaction,” he added. “It interferes with everything.”
Dr. Williams said in the last century some of the most dangerous things in a person’s life were the hazards of farming and living in a violent inner city. Today, he said, it is driving while distracted.
Dr. Williams drew the analogy of the amount of time needed to train a young person to drive a car and the amount of time devoted to teaching a young person on the use of a phone or other electronic device. He observed that children are given a phone with no explanation or training. He advocated waiting until a young person is in high school before they receive their first phone.
“Giving kids an iPpad or any screen or a phone at 10 or 12 years of age is a mistake,” Dr. Williams said.
“You cannot have a gun, or smoke, or drink unless you are of a certain age,” Dr. William said. “Why should it be any different with a phone?”
He argued that, along with the internet, a phone requires a lot of skill and study before turning it on.
Dr. Williams said children are at huge risk with social media, including issues such as child trafficking, bullying and suicide. He described the physiological, emotional and mental impact that social media has on the human brain.
Dr. Williams said resiliency and perseverance are needed in order to take some practical steps to achieve accountability, proper relationships and to recover social relationships.
“It is up to adults to be adults in a young person’s life,” he said. “Once a phone is taken away from someone it takes at least three months before a young person becomes your child again.”
The three remaining talks on mental health will be Jan. 26: “Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health,” Feb. 9: “Managing Anxiety at Any Age,” and Feb. 23: “Preventing a Mental Health Crisis.”
Each will be held in the gymnasium of St. Michael School at 9101 S. 78th St., Lincoln. The talks are free and open to the public.
