I take public transport wherever possible and, in doing so, have the opportunity to observe the epidemic of compulsive phone and junk food consumption. A large and growing body of scientific studies connect the two in brain chemistry and the rising tide of diet-related illness, anxiety and depression.
Yesterday I had a two and a half hour train ride behind a mom and child about age 8. I could not help but notice that throughout the ride, they consumed bag after bag of different junk foods virtually non-stop while scrolling through electronic devices. I was reading, but the mom’s phone was facing me through the seats so I could not help but note that she scrolled social media and continually took selfies in various facial expressions which she reviewed and revised throughout the ride. The daughter was wearing headphones over her ears and watching a laptop. Verbal communication between the two of them was nearly nil. (On a separate issue, near the end of the ride, the train conductor delivered a colourful plastic bag of throw-away plastic ‘kids club’ junk to the child, but I digress.)
This is not to be critical of this mom and this child; the pattern of behaviour is widely common today. But being a student of addiction and sobriety programs for years through my immediate family, I know what compulsive behaviour looks like. It appears obvious that junk food and phone addictions need awareness and treatment like any other.
The role that regulation and policy plays in this area is, as always, uncomfortable to define. But we have rules around the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and gambling, especially when it comes to minors. We are clearly in need of more education and behaviour guidelines in this area as well. Implementing productive policy responses is difficult to be sure, but mounting social and sick-care costs are too expensive to ignore, and there must be a responsibility on adults to lead.
Italy is making news today with proposed initiatives in this area, see Italian MP wants to treat phone addicts like drug addicts and send teens to rehab.
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