The use of electronic devices before sleep hinders melatonin production, affecting sleep and contributing to issues like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and behavioral disorders such as depression, ADHD, anxiety, and social difficulties.
Over 60% of students suffer from poor sleep quality due to excessive screen use | Photo: Dolgachev
The increasing use of technology among adolescents has become an ever-growing concern regarding the impacts this behavior can have on young people's mental and physical health. According to psychiatrist Nathalia Seminario Gabioneta, a specialist in childhood and adolescence and a collaborator in a program on technology dependence in São Paulo, the overuse of these devices can harm young people's social, emotional, and even physical development.
Studies indicate that more than 60% of students suffer from poor sleep quality due to excessive screen use. The blue light emitted by devices and using electronics before sleep reduce melatonin production, disrupting the natural sleep cycle. Sleep disorders are also linked to issues like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, making it essential to adopt measures to promote public health.
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The psychiatrist states that although technology has benefits, uncontrolled use can be harmful, especially when it affects fundamental areas of young people’s lives, such as sleep, vision problems, and behavioral issues like depression, ADHD, and anxiety, as well as social interaction and secondary problems like decreased academic performance. “The problem is that adolescents, in a moment of emotional and psychological vulnerability, may seek technology as an escape. Social media, for example, often generates anxiety and fosters a constant search for external approval, which is extremely harmful to healthy development,” says Nathalia.
To help mitigate these effects, she suggests that parents and educators adopt strategies to control technology use among young people. Setting screen time limits, especially at night, is essential. Sleep, according to the psychiatrist, is crucial for adolescents' mental and physical development, and excessive screen exposure hinders restful sleep quality.
Encouraging physical activities and outdoor leisure time is also important to reduce digital dependency. These activities help improve emotional well-being and promote socialization, which is often lost in online interactions.
Gabioneta advises “disconnecting” from screens during family moments. By setting devices aside, everyone, including adults, strengthens real-life relationships and shows adolescents that life goes beyond screens. “This practice reinforces the value of real connections and helps the adolescent understand that life doesn’t need to be mediated by a screen,” the psychiatrist explains.
Communication about technology use should also be open and nonjudgmental. She recommends that parents and educators speak openly about the risks of excessive use, creating a safe space for adolescents to share their difficulties. This facilitates a more collaborative, less punitive approach, making it easier for young people to open up about their experiences with technology.
In more serious situations, when the adolescent shows clear signs of dependency, such as irritability, isolation, and a decline in school performance, Nathalia notes that seeking professional help is essential. “Professional help can guide both the young person and the family in specific strategies for dealing with dependency,” she says.
According to the specialist, the role of parents and educators is crucial to ensure that adolescents use technology in a healthy way. With well-defined boundaries and emotional support, it is possible to help young people develop a more balanced relationship with the digital world, ensuring it doesn’t harm their physical, social, and emotional well-being.