Dr. Sue Varma

When we see that over half of adults over 65 are living with multiple chronic diseases, many of them are on four or five different medications, they're living alone.

Sometimes the screen is the only voice they hear all day.

So it's understandable to me, but I also am concerned because what this does is it crowds out opportunity for real-life connection, for exercise, for time in nature.

And it has very clear physical symptoms, physical symptoms of withdrawal.

A lot of times if you tell the elder adults, like I see this with my in-laws, for example, they're on their screens and devices all day long.

And to the point where if you ask them, come hang out, they'll say, no, no, I'm good.

I've got a show that I have to watch.

And I'm like, we want to take you out to dinner, but you've got a show that you're like married to almost.

Yes.

And it's like, I would say it's chicken and the egg.

Like, it's a combination of sometimes there is a paucity of strong connections in a person's life.

It's the enticement, like the dopamine reward loop.

A lot of older adults are on Facebook.

And yes, we could say it's a way that they share and keep in touch with family.

And that might be the only connection, like to their grandkids, for example, right?

Like as younger people and younger generations have moved

to better jobs.

They're less connected.

A lot of times they're estranged from family members.

That's a big problem that we have.