378 - Socialization, Development, and Addiction: Understanding Impacts and Consequences of Distance Relationships

Session Description: Video conferencing and technology significantly impacts relationships including children and adolescents. The use of screen time in lieu of in real life (IRL) interaction creates barriers to aspects of relationships required for human maturation. Foremost, individuals are left with a false sense of companionship. They feel they have bonded with individuals in the same fashion as IRL. The illusion creates a lack of socialization and connection. The resulting loneliness precipitates and perpetuates negative coping skills including chemical and behavioral addictions. Addictions are enabled when the negative coping skill is through video gaming interaction or social media. Emphasis of the presentation is given to the value of IRL interaction in relationships of any kind. Special consideration is given to positive impacts of in-person relationships including supervision, accountability, and physical touch. Information includes the impact loneliness and interaction have on brain development in adolescents and young adults. This is exacerbated when youth seek chemical addiction as a coping skill. Balanced use of technology and physical interaction is key to human development. The presentation concludes with interventions which can be used by behavioral healthcare professionals including education of clients, screen-time intervention (systematic de-sensitization), and social skills support groups. Key components of the counseling process to be explored include education (of providers as well as clients), interventions necessary to build IRL relationships, and what healthy growth and relationship development looks like. Effective educational interventions, screen-time intervention (reduction), and IRL social skills support groups are necessary for effective human maturation.