Too much screen time has been found to increases stress and anxiety levels in children and adults, but there's another dark side to overusing smartphones or computers - excessive stimulation can cause one's brain to shrink. Volume loss in the striatum - the area that controls impulses - has been seen in patients with online or video game addictions. Why should parents be concerned? Children ages eight to 18 spend at least seven hours a day on social media, a survey concluded in 2010. These numbers are especially disturbing because brain development in young children can be hindered by constant stimulation. "Studies show that the constant use of screen time, also known as internet addiction, is associated with changes in the brain, both in regions involving emotional processing as well as those involving decision making, the ability to delay gratification, attention, and thought control," Dr. Pete Sulack, stress expert and founder of StressRX.com, told us Thursday. Spending too much time online can damage the brain's insular cortex - the region where compassion, social cues and emotions are developed. Stress from continuous electronic excitement has also been found to damage the vital organ's white matter, leading to a breakdown of communication between its higher (thinking) and lower (survivalist) regions. Not sure how to reduce the amount of time your children spend online? Here are some tips from Sulack: Stay consistent If your kids are used playing with a phone or tablet every time you want them to behave, they will probably act out the first time you say 'no.' Be the parent. Do what's good for them, not what is easy. Set boundaries Allow your children a certain amount of screen time per day and stick to that limit. If teenagers want to leave their phones on all night to stay connected, realize you're compromising their health by not removing the device from the sleeping area. Schedule 'family' time that doesn't involve screens Don't run your home's television continuously. Listen to music instead, or try doing something together as a family that doesn바카라 게임 웹사이트�t involve a screen. Play board games, card games, cook together, exercise together or build something together - both physically and metaphorically. Sulack is realistic - it's impossible to completely shield yourself or your children from screens. We're living in a world that's constantly connected. "Most of us work behind a screen all day every day; but we do have the choice when it comes to our time off," the stress expert said. "It's a lie that we are more productive and successful if we stay plugged in all the time. We are stressing ourselves out, losing sleep, getting fatter and less fit, losing touch with one another, changing our brains for the worse, and changing our society, one pixel at a time. It바카라 게임 웹사이트�s time to stop the madness." Follow @theabigailelise on Twitter.