Specialist and scholar on the subject, neuroscientist Fabiano de Abreu Agrela explains the relationship between cell phone misuse and anxiety attacks among young people
Recently, 26 students from the Ageu Magalhães High School Reference School, in the Casa Amarela neighborhood, in the North Zone of Recife (PE), felt sick with shortness of breath, tremors and crying spells. The Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU) reported that students had a collective anxiety crisis.
A lot has been said about the issue since the covid-19 pandemic began, but the problem comes from much earlier and one of the factors that can increase it, among many other causes, is the misuse of the cell phone among the younger gestation. .
How can these anxiety frames of young people be influenced by the misuse of cell phones and social networks?
the neuroscientist Dr. Fabiano de Abreu Agrela has been warning since 2018 about the ways that the digital environment is bringing serious risks to the mental health of children and adolescents. Cases like this are becoming more and more common.
The exaggerated attachment of young people to the cell phone, “getting to be even sick, becoming an uncontrollable need that the person can’t get rid of”has been a concern for the professor for many years, but they have been gaining more attention after cases such as the one involving students in Pernambuco.
“At that time (2018), I published a scientific article that details the functioning of the brain and how the internet affects the region of intelligence, logic and coherence. From the region that orchestrates all other regions, that warns of consequences and controls emotion. In 2019, I had already warned my daughter and other children about Tik Tok and that it is more dangerous than Instagram”points out.
According to Fabian, “what happens in the brain is this interception, a lack of emotional control that triggers dysfunctions that lead to impulsive attitudes”. And the situation could get even worse, reveals: “The social network will cause even more serious damage and can lead to death. Companies like Facebook and Tik Tok know this and continue to invest in neuroscience inappropriately, so that people release more and more dopamine, which is addictive, thus holding the user. Dopamine is known as a reward neurotransmitter, released in anticipation, but not only dopamine but other chemicals are involved. The brain always looks for good sensations, increasing anxiety that works as a pending for more release of these substances.”
For those who don’t know, the neuroscientist explains the effect of this chemical agent on the body: “Dopamine is a reward neurotransmitter that the body asks for its release gradually. In addition, lack of attention, difficulty in memorization, excess anxiety, constant demotivation and emotional fluctuations. They are the result of this dysfunction”. Faced with this gloomy scenario ahead, Abreu regrets that many people are still unaware of the seriousness of the problem that lies ahead: “People are not taking it seriously because they are also dependent on the social network. Like a train that prefers not to see the damage it causes as it is also satisfied with it.”signals.
About Fabiano de Abreu Agrela
Dr. Fabiano de Abreu Agrela is Director of the Heráclito Research and Analysis Center (CPAH), Scientist at Hospital Universitário Martin Dockweiler, Head of the Department of Science and Technology at Logos University International, Active member of Redilat – La Red de Investigadores Latino-Americanas, scientific committee of Ciência Latina, of the Society for Neuroscience, the largest neuroscience society in the world in the United States and professor at universities; of medicine at UDABOL in Bolivia, Escuela Europea de Negócios in Spain, FABIC in Brazil and research scientist at Universidad Santander de México.
Published scientific articles:
www.brazilianjournals.com/index.php/BRJD/article/view/19636
https://cdn.atenaeditora.com.br/documentos/ebook/202203/7c7b73e5c82d5b071957f3ea4b144e5261d27eab.pdf
https://ciencialatina.org/index.php/cienciala/article/view/1866/2654
Source: Recreio
