Tik Tok, Gambling, and our Developing Brain: Potential Risks in our Digital World

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Delaware Council on Gambling Problems

First Presenter’s Email Address

jschmidt@dcgp.org

First Presenter's Brief Biography

John Schmidt, BS, CPRS, is currently the Director of Youth Prevention Services for the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems, conducting presentations at middle and high schools throughout Delaware to inform students of disordered gambling and its connection to the gambling mechanisms within video games and smartphones. John is a certified tech addictions expert and is a youth mental health specialist, clinically trained in the area of disordered gaming. He also earned his certification in Studies in Gambling Addiction through the University of Minnesota Duluth, and conducts annual research in partnership with the University of Delaware in the area of gambling, video gaming, and smartphone behaviors with Delaware middle and high school students via in-depth surveys. As a member of the Criminal Justice Board for the Council and a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, John relies on his lived experience and his professional training to also conduct presentations in juvenile correctional facilities throughout Delaware while also assisting in conducting bi-annual trainings with Delaware State Police cadets. John is passionate about successful community reentry and brings his invaluable experiences with addiction and recovery into every area of his life. A dynamic and effective communicator, John has over twenty years of experience in the areas of instruction, training, and relationship-building with the incarcerated population, including overseeing a therapeutic community, training in conflict resolution, and conducting gambling addiction awareness workshops.

Location

Session Six

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Health: Mental & Physical Health

Relevance

Head - Material will focus on the correlation between declining grades, lower test scores, and increased negative behavioral outcomes and excessive phone use in schools and home

Health - Regulated use of phones by children and families at home and school lead to better physical and mental health outcomes

Brief Program Description

What is the impact of excessive phone use on the developing brain of an adolescent? We will explore the psychological principles, gambling mechanics, and marketing strategies that keep kids (and us too!) immersed in the digital world. We will then review effective policies and best practices for effective management of phone use in schools and classrooms.

Summary

The evolution of smartphones over the past 15 years has generated an “Attention Economy” that feeds off the psychological vulnerabilities of consumers. Adolescents and teens are the most vulnerable to being negatively impacted by the use of smartphones and other digital technology – including persistent pursuit of hyper-stimulating digital experiences that interfere with social-emotional development and academic performance. Research has shown that less time on social media and less time immersed in digital experiences improves well-being and overall daily school performance. Also, the data reveals that kids who spend more time playing video games and, more specifically, spending money making various in-game purchases (sometimes of a gambling “risk” nature) in online video games are not only more likely to engage in substance abuse in their formidable years, but are also more prone to becoming gambling disordered in their teen years and beyond.

During the 2022-23 school year, the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems conducted two comprehensive surveys that were researched and data-verified by the University of Delaware’s Center for Drug for Drug and Alcohol Studies. The research clearly indicated that digital distractions were contributing to declining grades and increase in reported cases of depression and anxiety for middle and high school students. Furthermore, the increased saturation of gambling ads and sports betting apps combined with much of the monetized, risk-based online video game content has contributed to an increase in adolescent gambling and gambling harms. Prevention work has been conducted the past 4 years through middle and high school classroom presentations and has produced, through pre and post survey Qualtrics software, an increased awareness in understanding the negative impact of disordered smartphone use and gaming disorder.

Policy Statement

Due to increased cases of disordered phone use by students in middle and high schools and in the home, many schools and school districts have implemented the use of YONDR pouches , which are pouches that a phone is placed into that is then magnetically sealed to only be unlocked at a kiosk at the end of the school day. Many schools have also resorted to a “no tolerance” phone policy that has been inconsistently enforced.

Evidence

Known research and analyzed data for this presentation is derived from the comprehensive bi-annual “Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Abuse Among Delaware Students Survey of 2022.” The utilized portion of the aforementioned report, titled “Gambling With Delaware’s Kids 2023,” was conducted via survey software from Qualtrics Data. All research was conducted by Daniel J. O'Connell, Ph.D, et al, Senior Scientist & Associate Director of Research at the University of Delaware’s Center for Drug and Health Studies. This research was additionally supported by Delaware’s Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) through a grant funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The study also received substantial and critical support from the Delaware Legislature through the Delaware Health Fund. Additional direct funding for research was provided by the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems. Dr. Daniel J. O’Connell can be reached at the following:

257 East Main Street, Suite 110 Newark, DE, 19716 (302)-831-4649

Learning Objective 1

•Understand the basic brain dysregulation of disordered phone use

Learning Objective 2

•Identify the types of digital disorders and their effects, including pathways of use

Learning Objective 3

•Identify how parent-school collaboration can improve student digital health

Keyword Descriptors

Nano Monetization, Intermittent reinforcement, IKEA Effect, Attention Economy, Mood Modulator Loot boxes

Presentation Year

2024

Start Date

3-6-2024 11:30 AM

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Mar 6th, 11:30 AM

Tik Tok, Gambling, and our Developing Brain: Potential Risks in our Digital World

Session Six

What is the impact of excessive phone use on the developing brain of an adolescent? We will explore the psychological principles, gambling mechanics, and marketing strategies that keep kids (and us too!) immersed in the digital world. We will then review effective policies and best practices for effective management of phone use in schools and classrooms.