Worker Wellness Blog
Date Posted: March 31, 2026
Posted In: Discussion, Workforce,
by Dr. John Gaal
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness blog takes a look at the concept of organizational dehumanization; to college athletes’ claims of mistreatment by coaches; to how climate change impacts your health via reduced physical activity.
Focal Point: This week I wish to touch on the recent court ruling to protect our youth from the harms of Social Media.
While Meta and Google plan to appeal, a clear message was sent to the public that this jury was convinced apps can do harm and contribute to youth mental health issues. In fact, the UK along with a handful of other countries are experimenting with banning and/or limiting the use of Social Apps when it comes to their youth.[2] At the end of the day, are bans enough?
As we approach the Final Four of college basketball, it is difficult to turn on a TV and not see ads and/or commercials promoting sports gambling. Sadly, our nation has allowed the cell phone to serve as the means into this morass. Don’t believe me? Then, I challenge you to observe the patrons sitting around you that next time you go to a restaurant for a meal. How many of those families with young children have their heads buried in their cell phones? And, equally important, what are those children viewing? Chances are those kids are playing video games.
Make no mistake, while gaming can teach some valuable life skills, most of these awards-seeking gaming platforms are setup to release dopamine, creating a pleasurable “near-miss” scenario that encourages continued play. Sound familiar? It should as this pretty much describes gambling.[3] So, not unlike how pedophiles groom vulnerable children, gaming grooms unsuspecting children. The numbers don’t lie…recent polls suggest that >60% of college students are involved with sports gambling (think online prop bets)—our next BIG public health crisis![4]
Sources:
[1] https://www.wsj.com/tech/meta-and-youtube-lose-landmark-social-media-trial-33e4c5cb
[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn89g3ngkyzo
[3] https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2024/video-games-are-a-gateway-drug-to-gambling.html
[4] https://www.futureupodcast.com/episodes/the-sports-betting-madness-on-college-campuses/
Additional Links to Check Out
Landmark Social Media Addiction Trial
1/3 Use Chatbots for Health Info
MO: Senate / Courts / Mental Illness?
NAMI / Advocates / Criminal Justice
College Sports / Coaching / Abused Athletes
STL Co Police / Youth / Gaming Van
Global Warming / Reduces Activity / Public Health
UA: Flight Attendants’ Labor Deal
Trump’s Cheat: Sends Mail-in Ballot
Trump / US-DOL / Apprenticeship
White House Memes / War / Vets
DC’s Diversion: From Ukraine to Iran
Shipbuilding: US Security Risk
US Consumers & Higher Energy Costs
Lawmakers / Ban / Prediction Markets
Soldiers / College Tuition / New Barrier
Young Workers & AI-proof Futures
Construction Videos: Safety & Coaching
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
AI, Ethics, & Suicide Prevention (4/15)
MO: Zero Suicide Workshop (4/30)
Recovery Friendly Workplaces (5/12)
Slope It / Shore It / Shield It
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact Dr. John Gaal, Chief Learning Officer, at stlbtwc@gmail.com with related questions or comments.