A disconnect from our social skills

A troubling story surfaced last week concerning 68-year-old Bill Nutter, a Vietnam veteran, who died last year in a Massachusetts VA facility while the nurse’s aide assigned to care for him played video games.

Nutter, who suffered from the effects of Agent Orange, diabetes and a condition that could suddenly send him into cardiac arrest without warning, was supposed to be checked on every hour at the Bedford VA Medical Center.

A hospital video camera caught the nurse’s aide playing video games and she was dismissed after President Trump allowed the firing of hundreds of VA employees for misconduct and shoddy mistakes.

While the Bedford case shed light on the beleaguered VA system, it also amplified an even wider concern in society: the increasing disconnect from the real world due to our obsession with electronic devices.

Although regular TV is still the biggest average draw on our time — Americans currently watch for about four hours per day — the time users spend with their mobile devices has grown rapidly. The research firm eMarketer put the time spent on mobile at three hours and 17 minutes per day while the analytics firm Flurry has it as high as five hours per day.

It’s obvious that the way we relate to each other is being affected. Most people would rather text than have face-to-face conversations.

To combat the family disconnect and promote interaction during meal time, Chick-fil-A restaurants last year gave guests the opportunity to enjoy a meal without the distraction of cellphones. The restaurant placed a small, square box — called a Cell Phone Coop — on each table where guests’ cellphones could remain untouched for their entire meal.

The initiative wasn’t available at all locations, but more than 350 locally owned Chick-fil-A restaurants adopted the Cell Phone Coop challenge.

A number of experts have warned that social media and the technology that makes it accessible are hindering socialization skills.

Jean Twenge, an American psychologist, San Diego State University psychology professor and author of the book “iGen,” notes that in 2012, more than 50 percent of American households owned a smartphone.

Today, at least 81 percent of American adults now own one, and these devices have become an integral part of both our work and personal lives, influencing how we socialize and form our attitudes toward religion, sexuality, and politics.

Twenge agrees that aspects of technology have transformed our ability to communicate and connect in positive ways but is troubled by research suggesting that today’s youth are on the brink of an alarming mental health crisis.

Certain studies and large-scale mental health surveys of adolescents and teens indicate their emotional well-being is deteriorating. They suggest that nighttime use of electronic media is at least partly to blame since sleep deprivation can lead to symptoms related to anxiety, depression and suicidal behavior.

Twenge explains how things began to deteriorate in 1995 — the year the internet was born — and when eBay, Amazon and GeoCities were launched, and Microsoft released the first version of Internet Explorer.

The iGen book also shows how young people are growing up more slowly into adulthood than previous generations — 18-year-olds look and act like 15-year-olds used to.

Twenge has her share of critics who argue that she’s cherry-picked data to prove her thesis.

Some argue that social media and smartphones can actually help people develop positive connections and traits.

In a world of rapid-fire trouble and suffering, mental health and happiness are a big deal.

If we can escape the stresses by not touching our phones or electronic devices during the short time it takes to enjoy a meal with our family or friends, then we are better off for it.

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com