Alexithymia

Any guesses what it is? A crossword clue? A tongue twister? 

I’m not sure if you’ve heard of this before, but Alexithymia is a condition where a person has problems maintaining relationships and taking part in social situations due to their inability to recognize emotion. If you missed it, we talked about social anxiety last week, so I saw it fitting to talk about this today. Alexithymia is not a psychological condition, meaning you cannot be diagnosed with it. However, there is a specific assessment to determine if you have it (called the TAS-20 if you were wondering) and if you “pass”, you’d be considered to have this condition. 

Pandemic Caused 

Now that the pandemic is behind us. Can we say that yet, actually? Well, pretty much gone – how about that? We now have some pretty interesting research hitting the press about its effects on our mental health. Now, you do not have to be in the psychology field to have predicted that the pandemic was going to alter our environment so much so that it would affect many mentally. However, how it has specifically done this, and specifically for what people groups, is quite interesting and worth taking a closer look. 

I wanted to share with you this week a study that showed that Alexithymia has risen in teens since the pandemic. Now, that was not the surprise. The goal of this study was to see if they could boil it down to one dependent variable that they could hypothesis was the root cause. In other words, what specifically about the pandemic caused social awkwardness to increase. If you ask them, they believe that screens are the ones to blame. 

The Research 

This paper was written this year in Canada (2022, Eh?) where they administered the TAS-20 to 520 young people. If you are a stats person, I’ll break down the numbers for you. Pre-pandemic the young people were using social media 2-3 hours a day, but during they reported it jumped to 3-5 hours daily. Their TV watching was at about 1.5 hours a day before COVID, and after they ranked a solid 2.5 hours daily. A sad 40% of them reported that during their excessive pandemic screen time they had a difficult time noticing, discerning, and verbalizing their feelings. We all coped in different ways when the pandemic came knocking, but for many of our teens, they sunk deeper into their screens to quiet the world, fill their time, and numb their emotions.

When the relationship between social media addiction and Alexithymia was examined, it was determined that there was a positive relationship between the two, and as social media addiction increased, the level of Alexithymia also enhanced. 

This study focused specifically on young people, but I personally do not think it would be a jump to relate this to all our young children, too. Even today, without the pandemic, it can be so easy to just give our kid a screen. I’ve heard it referred to as “the babysitter.” For most children (not all) if given a choice between any glowing box (TV, video game, Iphone, or computer) they will choose the electronic every time. It’s alluring and addictive. 

Screen Time Caution

Mamas, we need to watch the amount of screen time our child has access to! This is all ages, too. The perspective that we are talking specifically about here today is the clear link it plays in inhibiting their social interaction. There are clear dangers in not only the content but just the act itself. 

I went back and forth on whether I should share my screen time duration limit that I have for my kids. I decided at the end of the day not to share it publicly. If you want to ask me personally, please feel free to drop me an email, but it is just my opinion. I feel strongly that we should stick to facts here on the blog. For my own curiosity though, I did some digging to see how my number would compare to the researched recommendation. Interestingly enough, many experts stay away from putting a hard fast number on it. There are so many variables, it makes it really difficult. It really depends on the type of technology, the child’s personality, and the content. 

At the end of the day, just be aware of it. Chances are, your child could probably be playing and interacting more and watching a screen less. When in the history of screens has a parent ever said, “I wish they would have watched another show today.” When you lay your head down at night though, how many times do you wish they had a more meaningful and fulfilling day?

Let’s lead by example. Let’s engage more. Let’s be Mamas that are counter-cultural and do not allow technology to take control of our minds. It will only benefit them, and ultimately lower their chances of developing Alexithymia or a plethora of other conditions. It’s the hard road. It’s the road less taken. But Mama, it’s a fun ride! 

Getting Help 

If your child is becoming increasingly addicted to screens, intervening early is always the answer. A mini consult is all you’d need to have a specific plan for your child to decrease their screen time while minimizing meltdowns. Reach out HERE today!

References:

Celik , Melike. “The Relationship between Social Media Addiction Levels and Alexithymia in Young People at Home during Pandemic Process.” The Journal of Health Sciences , vol. 45, 22 Jan. 2022, https://doi.org/10.4025/actascihealthsci.v45i1.60941. 

“Tips for Setting Screen Time Limits as a Parent.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 10 Feb. 2022, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/screen-time/art-20047952.