tv Nightline ABC May 20, 2017 12:37am-1:08am PDT
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this is "nightline." >> tonight, digital addiction? >> josh has been in his room since 4:00, nearly five hours, gaming. >> a teen obsessed with video games. skipping school. and a father who spends so much time playing in the basement, he often misses family gatherings. >> i was going to bed as a newlywed, and he was staying up and playing video games. >> part of a growing 91 of people seeking rehab for device detox. how they're getting snapped back to reality. plus, peaking out. >> my cat's name is j. allen cooper. >> fandom in the streets for the ground-breaking whodunit series "twin peaks." >> two more pieces of this incredible pie. >> with the cast. >> happy that i'm back in a suit for god's sake. >> along with newcomers. >> i threw in a line.
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>> cut. mr. belushi, do i need to bring you to the principal's office? >> director david lynch and why he kept this project so secretive. but first the "nightline 5." >> tried hard to quit smoking. but when we brought our daughter home, thavms it. now i have nicoderm cq. >> helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. >> best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how. shoulders don't just carry pads, they carry a fan's passions, hopes and dreams. and maybe the chance at greatness. because shoulders were made for greatness, not dandruff. >> number one in just 60 seconds.
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good evening. thanks for joining us. it could be a growing addiction. potentially stunting the development of children. one doctor uses the term "digital heroin" to describe the compulsion to stare into screens for hours. tonight you're about to see firsthand in family-made video diaries the devastating impact of digital obsession and the road to rehabilitation. here's abc's elizabeth vargas. >> reporter: walk down any street, any mall, any hallway, everyone is bowing to their screen. our devices are beeping, buzzing, begging us to swipe, like, love, tweet, retweet, send, reply, forward. but altal and christina from michigan think their 14-year-old son josh has a real problem. they say he won't stop, can't stop, playing video games online. >> what's a typical day in josh's life? >> sleeping in till 11:00,
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12:00. then he would be on until like 1:00, 2:00 in the morning. >> 12 hours. >> easily, easily 12. yeah. >> reporter: josh says he's playing up to 60 hours a week. >> josh has been in his room since 4:00, nearly five hours, gaming. >> why didn't you just take the computer away? i don't understand. >> because when we did take it away, there was a lot of problems in our house with his behavior. >> reporter: they confiscate the computer. shut down the wi-fi. even remove the router and lock it in the car. junior respo josh responds by punching walls or worse. >> a lot of anger. lots of anger. >> emotional outbursts. >> yeah. >> sounds completely out of control. >> yeah. it was. >> josh, you need to get off. >> okay. duh. >> reporter: midnight. 1:00 a.m. 2:00 a.m. >> you know, it's after 3:00. and i told you to get off at 1:00.
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>> stop! >> reporter: josh is part of a growing trend happening all over the world. what some call digital addiction. a hotly debated topic within the scientific community. >> you have used the term "digital heroin." really? digital heroin? is it that bad? >> maybe there's some shock value to that, maybe i am trying to shock parents to say, this is a potentially addictive device. be careful. >> reporter: josh begins skipping school. >> i don't care about school. >> reporter: al and christina wonder if josh's brain can give them clues as to what is wrong. they take him for a functional mri as part of a new study by dr. david rosenberg. his theory, yet to be proven, is that excessive gaming may change brain activity. >> you press the response pad for the letter "m." >> reporter: dr. rosenberg highlighted areas in red he says represent brain activity
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involving memory, attention, and decision-making. josh's brain scans are troubling. >> this is the brain processing center of the brain. there should be much more activity. >> there should be more red? >> more red. >> you looked at this and thought, this is a kid in trouble? >> this is a kid in trouble. >> reporter: his parents decide to take a drastic step. >> it's kind of stupid. i just play video games and i have to go to rehab for it? >> reporter: they send him into the utah wilderness and a program called "unplugged" at outback therapeutic expeditions. he and a group of boys will camp for weeks in this rugged terrain. there is no running water, no electricity, no screens. the only thing that glows in the dark, a campfire and the moon. josh isn't the only one in need of intervention. but for this ohio family the problem isn't the kids. it's the dad. >> chris was still playing video
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games so we ended up coming to the park. >> reporter: maria, 40 years old, attorney, mother of four. she's not a single mother. it just seems that way. she has a husband, chris, aged 44. but on any given evening, he is down in the basement, taken prisoner by a pastime. >> you're done. >> how many hours a day does he spend playing games? >> he'll take a whole saturday and go into the evening. from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed. >> so 18 hours? >> possibly. >> it's 2:00 a.m. and i just checked in on chris. and he's still playing video games. >> reporter: ever since they got married, more than a decade ago, maria says chris is often a no-show for much of their life. >> happy thanksgiving. i'm headed up to our family's football game. chris opted not to play with us. he is going to be playing video games instead. >> reporter: chris works in i.t. when he gets home from work,
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there is a little bit of family time. >> it's tough, okay, go ahead and read out the problem. >> reporter: before going downstairs to play video games. >> i keep returning as this machine gun guy, i play terribly as this dude. >> do you think you're addicted to these games? >> i'd say -- i'd say addiction is there. >> reporter: chris says he's considering cutting back. quit for good? never. >> i can't stop forever. that just seems like -- >> even though you know that it hurts your wife and your children? >> yeah. every next thing i say will sound more and more like a scared addict. >> reporter: chris and maria are hoping for a game changer. we arrange for a house call from therapist nick carderas, author of "glow kids." >> my whole purpose is to find out where he's at on his addiction. does he acknowledge it as a problem? >> reporter: the first assignment, get the video games out of the house for 90 days.
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>> are you willing to take this opportunity? not next month. >> yeah. i'll -- i'll step up. i'll try it. >> all right, here we go. >> reporter: while maria looks on, chris packs up his games and consoles. weeks later, he returns to the basement at our request. >> i don't make it down here much. it's just -- kind of a place for the kids to play right now. >> reporter: visiting his former gaming closet triggers intense emotions. >> i was just tight in the chest. it's a little tough to think about even now. it's making me feel some feels right now. >> reporter: he documents his struggle to stay out of the game, day by day. >> on day two of this 90-day detox, boredom, monotony, agitation. >> reporter: week by week. >> it is amazing. this probably is the first week game-free in -- years. years and years.
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>> reporter: slowly it gets easier. chris is out of the basement and killing it in the kitchen. one morning, several days earlier, maria recorded another video diary, her birthday. >> imagine the surprise when i came downstairs to this. he got me a gift and beautiful flowers and a really nice card. i'm really feeling a lot of hope and just some happiness. thanks so much. yay. >> reporter: at "unplugged," outback therapeutic expeditions in utah, josh shows me how he and the other boys live. carrying their few belongings in a homemade backpack. building shelter. preparing meals. nothing gourmet. out here, peanut butter is a delicacy. >> how is that going to help you in life, do you think? >> it's an example, like my anxiety. at first it was super hard for me to hike. >> reporter: learning to overcome physical challenges here is a lesson josh can take
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with him and apply to life challenges back home. >> so you're learning to push yourself? >> yeah. >> are you worried at all about going home and falling back into your old habits? >> yeah. like i've had dreams at night where i'm just playing video games. it's kind of like scary when i wake up. >> reporter: after ten weeks unplugged in the wilderness, time to go home. >> i guess i can sleep on in a warm bed instead of on the ground in a sleeping bag. >> reporter: a big welcome in michigan. his computer has been safely locked away. >> welcome home. you still smell like sage. >> reporter: his parents take josh for a follow-up brain scan with dr. rosenberg. the mri results confirm his seemingly amazing transformation. >> what you can see here is, yeah, this is an oh wow effect. >> same boy? >> same boy. >> before treatment, after treatment. what is that telling you? >> he was completely shut down. when we talked with him here, he was exuberant, a different child. >> reporter: it's not the only
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change. josh is happier. he feels taller. and with a new haircut, he's a different boy. >> that looks good. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm elizabeth vargas in michigan. next, "twin peaks" returning to television after 25 years. how the cast and director went to extremes to keep the plot line secret. i sure had a lot to think about. what about the people i care about? ...including this little girl. and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital, but wondered, was this the best treatment for me? so i asked my doctor. and he recommended eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. yes, eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. both made me turn around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding.
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don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily ...and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made eliquis the right treatment for me. ask your doctor if switching to eliquis is right for you. ...studying to be a dentist and she gave me advice. she said dad... ... go pro with crest pro-health. 4 out of 5 dentists confirm these crest pro-health products... &help maintain a professional clean. crest pro-health... ...really brought my mouth... ...to the next level. go pro with crest pro-health
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the cast members don't know the complete plot. so we spoke to them and their mastermind, director david lynch, about the need for mystery and the revival of the iconic show after 25 years off the air. here's abc's david wright. ♪ >> reporter: from those first moody bass notes, "twin peaks" was quirky, murky, and strange. ♪ a road not taken, ever, in tv before. >> february 24th. entering the town of twin peaks. >> reporter: a place full of riddles wrapped in enigmas and sometimes earnestly cradling a log. >> my log saw something that night. >> reporter: the show's central mystery was the death of beauty queen laura palmer. and in a final twist in the plot, the very last words we hear from her in the final episode of "twin peaks" -- >> i'll see you again in 25
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years. >> reporter: now are coming true. "twin peaks" is back for a third season, 25 years later. sunday nights on showtime. we last saw you -- bloodied. bl cackling with laughter. >> yeah. >> how's annie? >> yeah, yeah. a great way to end. >> the longest cliffhanger in history. >> yeah, yeah. yeah, without question. >> reporter: the cast full of familiar faces plus a newcomer or two. as surprised as any of us to be reunited again. we met up with a few of them at the lamb's club bar in midtown manhattan. i'm relieved after 25 years of pie -- >> two more pieces of this pie, mm. >> you're not a diabetic? >> i know, i take my blood sugar every day. >> you must exercise a lot. >> i'm happy i fit back in the suit. >> reporter: for those who weren't watching back in the day, "twin peaks" was a cop drama like no other.
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>> diane, i'm holding in my hand a small box of chocolate buddies. >> reporter: filtered through the mind of david lynch, "twin peaks" was a huge hit worldwide. >> didn't gorbachev ask george bush who killed laura palmer? >> evidently the queen as well was a big fan at the time. i heard she dismissed herself from an event on her birthday, she went upstairs because she had to watch "twin peaks." >> wow. >> capture and incarcerate. >> reporter: that's david lynch, so secretive about this reboot of the show. >> all music is a little twin peeks-y. >> reporter: he'd only talk to us by telephone. >> hey, david. >> reporter: his answers to most of our questions almost mono si sill labbic. >> i know you can't give anything away. what bread crumbs can you give sinus. >> sunday night, may 21st, we'll start the thing. >> right. >> then in september, you'll have finished.
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>> reporter: it's not personal. that level of secrecy serves a purpose. >> nowadays people on trailers, you've seen the whole film by the time you've finished the trailer and it's really ridiculous. the film sls tis the thing. people will see it when it airs. and just let it unfold the way it's supposed to. >> reporter: and it extends even to the stars of the show. >> we have to wear capes on the set to cover our costumes. >> superhero capes? >> kind of. >> reporter: jim belushi as new addition to the ensemble. >> you got in trouble for ad libbing? >> there was one scene. i can't tell you who's in it. in the middle of that, i threw in a line. and, cut! mr. belushi! yes, sir? do i need to bring you to the principal's office? no, sir!
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all right, let's do it again. >> reporter: kimmie robertson plays the daffy secretary, lucy moran. >> it's pete marttell up at mill. >> that's your real voice? >> actually, david had me speak in a higher register than normal. so lucy talks a little more up here. and i'm way down here. >> yeah, yeah. big difference. >> reporter: dana ashbrook, the resident bad boy of "twin peaks." >> david made the cool character, he wrote this call according i got to kind of play. surfing on a car while you're drinking a beer. >> you didn't do that in high school? >> no, i was a geek, total geek. >> reporter: twin peaks was such a phenomenon it inspired the creators of tons of tv that followed. all these shows that have come after, the creators and show runners say they're basically stealing from david lynch. you've got "lost," "the
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sopranos." >> certainly been an influence. >> i think when "twin peaks" happened, everything changed. it was beautiful life, beautiful music, looked like a movie. >> reporter: so much of it created almost by accident. by david lynch. the casting of killer bob, for example. >> i was on my hands and knees, upstairs in laura palmer's house. some girl said, frank, don't lock yourself in that room. because frank was the set dresser and he was just moving a big bureau in front of the door. but i suddenly pictured frank in laura palmer's room. then i said, okay, frank. you go down to the foot of the bed, grab onto those metal bars at the foot of the bed, and stare right at the camera. >> oh my god. >> those things were the birth of bob. >> wow. by accident. >> by accident. >> reporter: this week in brooklyn, fans of the show lined up around the block to
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participate in a "twin peaks" popup tribute event. many of them in costume. >> my cast name is special agent dale cooper. he looks just like kyle mclocklin. >> reporter: taking in twin peaks-inspired burlesque. ♪ and i'll see you >> i am so beside myself that it's coming back. beside myself. >> it was so wacky, some of it. >> it's like life, you know. >> how do you mean? >> life has these same things. >> i don't know many log ladies. >> well, you know. they're not a lot of them but they're here and there, i'm sure. >> 25 years later, is it hard to get back to that place? >> for me, the most exciting thing about this coming back to "twin peaks" was the chance to work with david again in this world. because i hadn't had that experience for a long time. and that relationship i missed a great deal. >> reporter: as for what's in store sunday, perhaps agent dale cooper said it best.
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>> i have no idea where this will lead us. but i have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange. >> reporter: i'm david wright for "nightline" in new york. >> we'll be right back. from the day i arrived, i wanted to see this great country. my last wish is for you to do it for me, as a family. love, grandpa. ♪ let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together ♪ older grandaughter: it'll be alright. i know. grandson: how did you meet grandpa? grandmother: actually on a blind date. [ laughter ] i wish he was on the trip with us. he's sitting right between the boys in the back of the car. [ laughter ] ♪ america ♪ all come to look for america
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