Technology: How It Can Hurt and Help

While technology can certainly contribute to the development and maintenance of an eating, mood or anxiety disorder, technology can also be harnessed to engage young tech-savvy patients in treatment and foster lasting recovery.

• For individuals struggling with interpersonal skills, social media can be a great place to start generating peer-support, relationships and connections. While pro-eating disorder content is increasingly common, so too is meaningful recovery-focused content, communities, groups and blogs.
• Body movement sensors, also known as “body bugs,” can assess sleep and exercise patterns, including the frequency, volume or intensity of the movement. Body movement sensors are particularly helpful with eating disorder patients inclined to over-exercise, as well as a tool for when individuals struggling with exercise and body issues are challenged with being able to reliably self-report to their treatment team.
• Anxiety management tools include video game-like biofeedback and MP3s preloaded with material to support relaxation and mood and anxiety regulation.
• Multimedia art therapy projects foster healing through the intersection of creativity, artistic expression and technology.
• Mobile apps can reduce the actual and perceived gaps between outpatient treatment sessions, track treatment progress, enhance patient-provider communication and prompt skill use in individuals’ daily lives.

There are both practical and clinical considerations as the treatment community adopts technology in recovery environments. Providers must continue to review the existing evidence base regarding their efficacy, evaluate their limitations and develop best practices accordingly.

ASSESSMENT: IS TECHNOLOGY USE HELPING OR HURTING?

Compulsive and excessive technology use in young patients can impair productivity and challenge meaningful engagement with the self and others. Responses children and teens give to these assessment questions can reveal much about their world and how they approach their lives:

• How much time do you spend using the internet each day (i.e. news websites, social media, discussion forums, blogs)?
• What are your favorite sites?
• Do you use mobile apps or other devices to track fitness and/or eating? If so, which ones?
• How would you feel if you couldn’t use the internet/social media/apps?
• What is your preferred means of communication with friends and loved ones?
• Do you have concerns about your use of technology and social media?
• How has your use of technology and social media impacted your life and relationships?