Circle circle dot dot now i got my cooties shot

My kids think it’s hilarious that we used to get “cooties shots”. Yeah, yeah, I’m old and used to play with dirt and sticks. Didn't we all?

I didn’t have a fancy phone or tablet like many kids have access to now, and maybe you didn't either.

I mean, kids also don’t have to deal with Encyclopedia Britanica or the Dewey decimal system! (thanks, Google) But they're missing out on the smell of books.

And they don’t have to color everything brown and orange because someone used up all the blue, green, and red crayons! Procreate allows the endless creation of glorious works of art (and I don’t have to stick them on my fridge. My kitchen thanks me.)

Circle circle square square now I have it everywhere!

(And now I can’t get this out of my head!)

Even though last week I shared some super interesting articles on vaccines for SUDs, there’s no vaccine that’ll help this kind of “addiction”.

That’s because I’m referring to social media! (SM)

This is a topic that I hear about all the time (and am also worried about with the 2 young brains that terrorize my home).

There’s plenty of data about how excessive SM negatively impacts developing brains of teens and young adults but there’s less about how SM use may also be a problem for adults!

And yes, I'm aware that there are plenty of great things about SM which I highlight in the video!

But I’m more focused on people who are struggling with problems in their lives related to their SM use.

​The video is just over 10 minutes and there’s a case example at the end!

But I’m going to share a few things here too, including one of the articles I really liked that included some very useful-seeming screening scales.

Here are my key take aways:

• Concerning or pathological use impairs multiple aspects of daily life: work, relationships, sleep, health, and overall functioning
• The quality and nature of the use is more important than the actual amount of time spent on SM
• Problematic use can exacerbate negative feelings related to self-esteem and anxiety or point to underlying or co-morbid conditions
• In some people SM overuse can create what looks and acts just like an addictive brain for any other substance
• The answer is usually not completely cutting off use forever, but finding a healthier way to engage with devices

Here are a few great tips that are nothing new, but helpful reminders:

• Turn off notifications! And set app time limits
• Create more steps to get to the app so it’s harder to mindlessly go there
• Trade SM time with something else; be intentional with the substitution choice so it’s easy to switch out in the beginning and create new habits (hint: don't suggest jumprope)
• Take note of anything positive that happens without SM. And even better? Journal about it!

I have been increasingly asking about SM use in my clinic. But with the screening tools from the article above I may start screening everyone.

Many of my patients have been motivated to make changes to SM use with great results, especially for anxiety and just generally feeling better about their current situations.

And I've been more diligent with just brining the topic up to see where it leads. Sometimes people don’t realize how pervasive their use has become and a little nudge from their therapist goes a long way to healthier SM habits!

Do you ask about screen time and SM use in your practice, Reader? If you have any tips or tricks I’d love to hear them!

I’m not a big SM user, partly because I get so annoyed by the ginormous time suck that makes none of my actual work get done! Ugh. (How can videos of puppies in the snow or bears walking across a mountain highway take up so much time??)

And I’d never suggest someone switch out SM with jumping rope, but my youngest kid still gets to do that at school!

Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around

Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground…

So it’s not all digital for kids, and they’re still singing the same verses I sang way back! Yay, jumprope!

Do you have a favorite jumprope or cootie shot throwback to share?

Send me a DM!

No, don't. Unless you never want to hear from me ever.

Cheers to healthy brains,

Dr. B

Jessica Beachkofsky, MD

Your friendly, online psychiatrist!

P.S. Do you know the rest of the teddy bear one? Something about say good night and turn out the light? But I feel like it must be much longer. Still trying to dig under distant memories of calculus and Golden Girls re-runs, but I’m sure it’s in here somewhere! Reply if you know it!