1 OPINION IGEN AND THE IMPACTS OF ALWAYS BEING CONNECTED 'UNPLUGGING EVERY DAY IS OBVIOUSLY A NECESSITY, SAYS NADIA ALAM As a family doctor, I can see that our youngest gen- eration, Gen Z or iGen, is struggling. I see more teen NADIA ALAM 'Column angst, depression and sui- cidality than ever before - and my gut says that it's connected to smart- phones, social media and how the human brain is wired. "You're not imagining things," said Dr. Deepa So- ni, an ER doctor in Missis- sauga, whose hospital sees high volumes of every- thing from heartburn to heart attacks. She too sees more teens and preteens presenting in crisis: "while everyone . seems less patient and more stressed these days, teens in particular come to the emergency department with more anxiety, less re- silience and more suicidal attempts." Dr. Soni shared new re- search that backs up anec- dotal experience with par- ent councils, classrooms and family docs like me. Rates of depression in teens have doubled. Rates of feeling "left out" or , in school and at home lonely" have dowled. One in three teens nov report 'poor sleep." Teens today are constantly plugged and turned on for six to } hours a day on their smart phones, checking them hundreds to thousands of times a day Most can't go to sleep without it within arm's reach py It's an addiction Teens today live two lives: the physical one seen and the virtual one on Snap- chat -and Instagram. This virtual life has trans- formed the teenage brain, and not for the better. Social media transmits a vortex of information through scrolling news- feeds, mixing the trivial with the relevant. Teens today are not only afraid of missing out, theyre less able to separate what is useful from what is noise Shorter attention spans shorter now than that of a goldfish - impair their abil ity to lgy down long-term memory, which is essen tial foraearning. The 'entire tech indus- try is in "an arms race for dopamine," our brain's feel-good chemical. Com- panies aggressively track how people" use smart- phones, finding ways to make them use it more. Notifications provide a hit of dopamine, so apps like Instagram delay re- vealing the number of likes on a post, luring teens into checking their phones again and again. 'Maintaining a Snapstreak (a Snapchat conversation) releases more dopamine, so teens participate every single day even on vaca- tion. For teens, branding is the new social currency Carefully curated and fil tered selfies show high light reels of teen life. It re inforces feelings of inade quaey, otherness, competi tion and dishonesty because the online perso na bears little resem- blance to reality. It's no wonder tech gi- ants like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs refused to let their kids plug in. Unplugging every day is obviously a necessity. The research is in. Put your devices out of sight, - out of mind every evening. _ Your health depends on it. Nadia Alam is a . Georgetown physician and president of the Ontario Medical Association. She can be reached at na- dia.alam@oma.org. URANUS WILL BE VISIBLE IN OCTOBER WITH JUST BINOCULARS ORIONID METEOR SHOWER ALSO THIS MONTH, WRITES MARIO CARR . MARIO CARR Column On Oct. 23, you can see distant planet Uranus with just a pair of binoculars GET READY FOR WINTER! SERVICE NEXT DAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE Call or email appointments@gallingerford.com when it's at opposition. For most of the year, the planet is too distant,and -~ too dim to see with your na- ked eyes or binoculars. During opposition, it's a different story. The planet is closer than at any other time of the year and will ap- pear a little brighter than + usual. It can also be seen from sun-up to sunset. Some young people might even see it with their naked eyes. For most of us, we'll need the aid of binocu- lars. Look for it rising in the east in the constellation Aries at sunset. It will reach its highest point in the sky just after midnight, as it moves southward when it sets in the westat sunrise. The Works Ford Service In Milton - Only $89.95 With The Works, our Ford-Trained Technicians here at Gallinger Ford in Milton will help keep your Ford running smoothly. ) What you will get: * An up_to 83-point inspection of your vehicle, with every hose, belt and fluid checked * A comprehensive Vehicle Report Card: a checklist of important details on the state of your vehicle in terms of service and repair, explained to you by a Ford Service Advisor during a one-on-one consultation * An oil and filter change * Rotation and inspection of all four tires Here are October star- gazing events, which are listed in the Hamilton Am- ateur Astronomers calen- dar. Oct. 11: The Moon is above Jupiter low in the southwest at dusk. Oct. 12: Hamilton Ama- teur Astronomers annual general meeting 7:30 p.m, Hamilton Spectator, 44 Frid St. Free admission, door prizes and everybody welcome. An optional food N MILTON es. 1967 a nice on to do LES 655 MAIN STREET E., MILTON bank donation of non- per- ishable goods will be col- lected and appreciated. Oct. 14: The Moon is close to Saturn in the eve- ning sky. Oct: 17-18: The Moon is close to Mars in the south- ern evening sky. - Oct. 21: The Orionid me- teor shower peaks after midnight. Oct. 24: The Full Moon is called the Hunter's Moon. Venus is also behind the Sun, or at inferior conjunc- tion and can't be seen. For more information, see the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers website or call 905-627-4323. The club offers a basic astronomy course for members. Mario Carr, the author of this report, is the club's director of publicity and can be reached at mario- carr@cogeco.ca or on Twit- ter @MarioCCarr. 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