Why Putting Phones Down Isn’t Enough
The biology everyone is missing.
Pamela Cantor, M.D. responds to a New York Times story on HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences), a clinical intervention that reversed the effects of childhood trauma. Dr. Cantor explains the biology behind why it works. The brain cannot store its own fuel, and human connection is one of the few reliable ways to increase blood flow to it.
She then turns to the debate over phones and screens. Jonathan Haidt's data on youth anxiety and depression is alarming, and removing phones addresses only part of the problem. When screens displace time with other people, the brain loses the neurochemical fuel that connection provides.
"The antidote to the 'anxious generation' is human connection, trust and presence."
— Pamela Cantor, M.D.
Featured
