Digital Health & Wellness Jessica Sharkey, David Palmer, and Eric Schoonard

Ergonomics

Muscular Skeletal Problems Muscle strains and low back injuries Elbow problems Carpal tunnel syndrome Rotator cuff injuries Tendinitis Trigger finger

Jobs with Muscular Skeletal Problems Assemblers and fabricators Stock clerks and order fillers Light truck or delivery services drivers Maintenance and repair workers Production workers Retail salespersons Maids and housekeeping cleaners Police and officers Firefighters Nursing assistants Laborers Janitors and cleaners Heavy and tractor- trailer truck drivers Registered nurses First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

Internet addiction and psychological well-being

Survey Says… US students over 8 years old spend an average of 6.43 hours per day on electronic media (Yang, Helgason, Sigfusdottir, & Kristjansson, 2013)

Higher levels of internet associated with lower levels of well-being Loneliness; Self-isolation Emotional Health: Depression; Low self-esteem Social discomfort; poor social adaptation and social skills; communication with peers Poor coping skills Findings 1

Higher levels of internet usage equates with lower levels of well-being Diminished impulse control –(need for instant gratification) Aggressive Behavior (violent gaming) Teens are becoming less independent because parents can always access their children. (essential to finding one’s identity) Findings 2

Impacts on the Brain Only the left side of the brain is used when a person is texting and interacting with a computer screen. Brain is still “under construction” Brain develops by stimulation-Neuroplasticity Right side of brain isn’t getting the stimulation it needs to develop

Impacts on the Brain Attention Deficit Disorder: –Need for constant entertainment –Inability to delay gratification Brain is on overload –can’t process all the information Decrease in ability to feel empathy –don’t see how what they do effects others

Social and Emotional Effects

Conflicting Research Internet usage has a positive effect on socialization and self-concept (Desjarlais & Willoughby, 2010)(Mathers et al., 2009) Other studies show that computer usage has a negative effect on these same areas (Heim, Brandtzaeg, Kaare, Endestad, & Torgersen, 2007)

We all know … TV is bad Several studies link excessive TV and video games in children to… –Attention problems –Lower long-term educational outcomes –Increased substance abuse –Higher rates of obesity –Lower cognition function for children. (Kappos, 2007) But can we trust the research?

New massive study in Iceland (n=10,829) Five different types of internet use: –TV/VCR/DVD – Internet computer games – Non-internet computer games – Internet chatting / social media – Other computer use

New massive study in Iceland (n=10,829) Five questions of negative wellbeing –Feeling sad with little interest in doing things –Little appetite –Felt lonely –Cried easily or wanted to cry –Had sleeping problems –Felt sad or blue –Felt that the future was hopeless

Findings 1 Students who were on electronics 4+ hours a day were 2-5 times more likely to experience negative indicators

Findings 2 Girls were significantly more affected by increased use (although they were less likely to use in excess)

Findings 3 No one area of computer use had more of an effect than another and This was merely correlational findings not causational (Yang et al., 2013)

Multitasking Does it have side effects?

Discovery Girls Study (Pea et al., 2012) Research question: How does media and media multitasking affect feelings of social success and social wellbeing?

Finding 1 Older girls multitask more

Finding 2 Media multitasking was associated with: Less social success Not feeling normal Sleeping less And fewer parent-approved friends

Finding 3 Face-to-face communication was associated with: More social success Greater feelings of normalcy Sleeping more And more parent-approved friends

Two Quotes “People who frequently interact with people face to face seem to feel less need to use other media while doing so.” “Even media meant to facilitate interactions between children, are associated with unhealthy social experiences.”

Possible Solutions 1 Establish rules: have conversation about concerns, appropriate usage, time allotted Embrace the media world: Be involved and aware of what teens are doing online Teach teenagers what’s appropriate and inappropriate regarding social media Be a role model: adults are often glued to computers/phones as well

Possible Solutions 2 Teach empathy, which some lack due to technology Encourage other interests besides technology Balance brain usage Take breaks from being on computer Awareness of Cyberbullying, Cybersex and sexting on well-being

Apps to promote healthy usage Self-Control Time Out Rescue Time

Summary 1.Research is trailing digital ecology 2.TV Internet / Smart-life 3.Moderate use vs. Excessive use 4.Gender effects: genetic or environmental?

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