Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
As a teenager, I used to always roll my eyes and laugh at older generations who scorned the modern technology that fit into everyone’s pockets.
“It’s those damn phones!” was the popular phrase satirized on the internet, in reference to the older generations’ attitude toward smart technology.
Since 2010, anxiety, depression and loneliness have all increased in teenagers and young adults, according to NPR. This data only reaches up to 2019, not even accounting for the increasing mental health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The trends listed above coincide with what may be the most rapid uptick in new technology or the incorporation of smartphones into daily life, according to psychologist Jean Twenge.
Maybe it really was those “damn phones.”
Therapy and medication are common treatments for symptoms of anxiety and depression, but behavioral neuroscientist Kelly Lambert took a “hands-on” approach, considering alternative methods that are not as widely spoken about.
Although Lambert’s research was completed in 2006, when smartphones were not as widely used, her conclusions may still be applicable today.
Our brains are programmed to feel satisfied when our physical efforts produce something meaningful in gaining necessities for survival, according to an article Lambert wrote in Scientific American.
Lambert calls this emotional payoff “effort-driven rewards,” which allows people to experience more positive emotions.
The science behind this concept resides in the accumbens-striatal-cortical network, a system in the brain that connects movement, emotion and thinking, according to Scientific American. It is also proposed to underlie symptoms associated with depression.
College students are often seated throughout the day, listening to lectures and studying over desks at the library.
Frequently utilizing social media as a break from those sedentary activities is hardly reminiscent of the physical activities required to attain effort-driven rewards.
In order to reap effort-driven rewards, the physical task must be something meaningful to a person. It can be as simple as exercising and doing chores or engaging in hobbies such as painting and cooking.
Doing meaningful actions not only produces good feelings but it also can build resilience against mental illness, according to Lambert.
Lambert tested this theory with two groups of rats.
One group, informally called the “working rats,” searched mounds of cage bedding to retrieve a treat.
The control group, informally termed the “trust fund rats,” received treats regardless of the physical effort they exerted.
After several weeks, Lambert tested the rats with puzzles which rewarded them with treats.
Results revealed the working rats were more persistent than the trust fund rats, spending about 60% more time solving the puzzle.
“Anything that lets us see a clear connection between effort and consequence — and that helps us feel in control of a situation — is a kind of mental vitamin that helps build resilience,” Lambert said.
Sometimes it may be hard to visualize this mental growth through the monotony or leisurely enjoyment of a physical activity.
Still, engaging in chores or hobbies surely does more for your brain and well-being than merely consuming online content for hours on end.
One particularly unhealthy habit can be doomscrolling, or the consumption of especially negative online content.
Another detrimental habit is termed revenge bedtime procrastination which can apply to any activity but includes sacrificing sleep for spending time on social media — something I have been especially guilty of myself recently.
Whatever the reason may be, it can be difficult to quit these habits knowing we could be participating in more mentally-engaging activities for our well-being instead.
There are different methods to try and curtail unhealthily long hours online. It can include setting a time limit on your social media apps or restructuring your schedule to replace the time usually spent on social media with other activities.
However, methods to improve virtual overconsumption really depend on each individual’s lifestyle.
Above all, taking care of yourself is something that is worth working toward.
“Every day it gets a little easier,” a jogging baboon from the great Netflix show “Bojack Horseman” said. “But you gotta do it every day — that’s the hard part.”
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Contact Faith Oh via email: faith.oh@pepperdine.edu or by Instagram: @oh_faiffful
