Greece is truly on the verge of losing its membership in the eurozone. Last week, several key regions in Spain approached their government for financial relief, but there is little to spare as $100 billion was just given to shore up Spanish banks. Moody’s has announced its negative outlook on credit ratings for Europe’s strongest economies, Germany, Netherlands and Luxembourg. High unemployment stubbornly rages on in excess of 50 percent in some of the hardest-hit populations. Yet, from Paris to Barcelona, Europeans are enjoying abundant travel during their summer holidays, while London is packed for the Olympics.
Just being part of a common currency makes the rest of Europe seem that much more familiar, while discount airlines such as Ryanair reduce the costs of foreign travel. Still, it is the Internet that has made the world more accessible despite the global economic malaise. This summer, whether we were waiting in a long line outside the Louvre or chatting at a dive shop on the Mediterranean coast, virtually everyone could be seen peering into their smartphone sharing experiences, booking reservations and absorbing information about the sites being visited.
Given the role of information technology in global society, it is indeed puzzling that somehow American health care has been a latecomer in leveraging the information age to manage its own work flows. Only recently have we entered the period of rapid adoption. What is more profoundly disturbing, though, is that so little work has been done to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses associated with information technology overuse, overload and addiction. The problem is already endemic.
During primary care health visits, providers routinely ask about levels of alcohol consumption, the number of sodas one drinks per day, and time spent engaged in physical activity, but we don’t ask about "screen time." As a culture we must begin to critically evaluate how much and what kind of screen time people spend each day and ask ourselves whether it is healthy. How much screen time do we spend on education, logistics, business or to get the news? How much time do we spend social-networking and how much following sports, gaming or watching porn? How often do we take breaks? Is mealtime also screen time?
More and more when couples seek marital counseling, psychotherapists find that some marriages simply wither because they are not nourished by adequate quality time. Increasingly our intimate human relationships have to compete with screen time. Has modern society come to the point where experts need to provide recommended daily adult requirements for human interaction?
The DSM V, the latest edition of the manual that defines diagnostic criteria for mental health disorders, will be out shortly. For the first time it will begin to discuss disorders associated with overuse of the Internet. However, we need to move more quickly to stem the tide. Not only health providers, but also parents, teachers and the IT industry should more carefully monitor and work to ensure that "screen time" has a useful, enjoyable and safe role in our lives.
Ira Zunin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., is medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Services Inc. Please submit your questions to info@manakaiomalama.com.
