Mental Health, COVID-19 & Our Tech: Q&A with NJIT Cyberpsychology Director Julie Ancis
The current pandemic has deeply influenced our social behavior in many ways, among the most obvious being that while physical interaction is way down, screen time is way up — some early estimates since March showed total web hits jumping up to 70%, and streaming content by at least 30% worldwide.
What is less clear is the overall impact that the soaring screen time has had on our mental health as our experience of physical spaces and relationships are diminished and as virtual spaces become, for some, the primary window to friends and family, work and school routines, and milestone life experiences.
Recently Julie Ancis, inaugural director of the cyberpsychology program at NJIT’s College of Science and Liberal Arts, was invited to serve as a contributing expert for such concerns at Psychology Today. She has published a series of articles exploring the helpful, or adaptive uses of technology that enable us to enjoy social connectivity during such physical isolation, as well as some of the maladaptive uses that can contribute to declining mental health — one of the most significant fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and a recent poll showed that Americans believe their mental health may critically suffer before their physical or financial health does as a result of the pandemic. Do we have any previous research to draw on for insight into the possible psychological or physiological impact the pandemic and physical distancing measures are having on us?
We have information about what it means to be in isolation, but a lot of research comes from situations that aren't true parallels to this global event. We know that trauma experienced in isolation or quarantine in the short-term can disrupt sleep patterns, create a lost sense of time and make us disoriented, as well as affect our concentration day-to-day. There are possible shifts in mood associated with anxiety, such as feeling unusually restless or irritable, as well as manifestations of depression such as a loss of interest in activities one normally enjoys, or feelings of worthlessness.
What has also been studied is that during public health crises like the Ebola and H1N1 outbreaks, and other collective tragedies like the Boston Marathon and 9/11, heightened news media consumption resulted in a greater deal of stress and anxiety and had downstream effects on health.
However, there is also research that indicates that some of this can be changed. The plasticity of the brain allows us to overcome trauma and even rewire the brain. Some psychological work from those such as Richard Davidson at University of Wisconsin has looked at the impact of meditation on the brain for example, showing that long-term meditators like Buddhist monks withstand the deleterious effects of mental trauma and stresses in ways that others don’t.
One factor that makes people less susceptible to stress and its effects at a time like this is resilience, which allows us to cope more effectively in a crisis situation and protect us from some of the negative effects of stress. Some people come out of stress and trauma having grown. They may experience more gratitude or even develop a sense of inner strength. Another factor is social support, which helps to moderate the negative effects of stress on the mind and body.
You've made the point that how we manage the uncertainty and anxiety in this open-ended period of quarantine could hinge on the relationship we are building with our technology. Could you elaborate?
Our technology has many positives under the current circumstances. It's been crucial in increasing our social connection through venues like virtual meet-ups, online concerts or exercise classes and even Zoom dinners with relatives. The opportunities for education and learning new skills through the many online lectures that have recently popped up have also been incredible, and can provide a sense of achievement.
There’s also research suggesting that too much, or maladaptive usage, could lead to greater anxiety and depression. Numbing or distracting yourself with technology can become a habit and you may find yourself stuck in a vicious cycle of unhealthy behavior and emotional distress.
Technostress and digital depression were already affecting older generations and younger digital natives, but in what ways could such phenomena be unfolding now as more people turn to their devices in home confinement?
Things like Zoom are incredible, but in a way, such technologies have become the primary way we are able to connect with other human beings and it can’t entirely replace one-on-one interaction. Much of our work and leisure time is on our screens, so there is little separation between our home life, leisure time and work. Between our screen time at work and school, and virtual meet-ups and social events afterward, people are finding they need to take a break, and tech fatigue is understandable.
It's also important to realize that a lot of what we consume through our apps or news on our screens has been designed to be addictive … Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook for instance — we are dependent on likes. It is intentionally designed to provide intermittent reinforcement, which encourages certain behaviors such as constantly checking our phones. The rapid reward in likes for example, combined with surges in dopamine makes these behaviors highly addictive. While we are more consumed in our technology than ever now, we have to do our best to be intentional about our use. This means, paying attention to why we are using it, what we are looking at, and the amount of time we spend on it. All this impacts us emotionally and behaviorally.
If you could offer key tips that someone could immediately apply to better manage their mental health now, what would they be?
First, taking care of ourselves is absolutely fundamental. In many ways, we are experiencing an existential dread — a feeling of loss of control, sense of groundlessness and recognition of our vulnerability. This can be disorienting. Try to eat healthy, engage in some form of exercise or movement, meditate and engage in activities that bring joy, whether that is listening to music or drawing. This will help promote resilience.
Second, creating structure in our day is crucial to trying to maintain a sense of normality. So try to go to sleep at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Change out of your pajamas in the morning and practice regular hygiene activities. Before we go to sleep, it helps to create a list of tasks for the next day. Look at the list in the morning and try to stick to it. This will help us to feel some control and sense of accomplishment in our world, which feels very uncertain right now. Be sure to build in breaks and enjoyable activities.
Third, we could opt to limit our media intake, perhaps to certain times of the day, and even track our screen time and associated emotions and thoughts to get a handle on the relationship between our behavior and how we think and feel. This may mean putting our phone in another room for a period of time. Replacing behavior that becomes compulsive or time-consuming through our devices with more adaptive ways of being can create a greater sense of hapiness, be it just by taking a walk if you can or reading a physical book.
Fourth, and I think particularly for students who are in a period of transition, I’d stress self-compassion. This is a difficult time and it is important to know that stress and anxiety are valid ways of responding. It’s important to know the signs of anxiety and depression and to reach out for support as needed. Many of us could use help in understanding our emotional reactions and practicing adaptive coping during this crisis.
Mental Health Resources:
● NJIT’s Center for Counseling and Psychological Services and university coronavirus updates
● Mental Association of Essex and Morris Counties
● CDC’s Page for mental health and coping during Covid-19
● The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s page for concerns about COVID-19
Mindfulness and Meditation Resources
● https://www.mindful.org/how-mindfulness-can-help-you-navigate-the-coronavirus-panic/
