Much has been said about teens and their exposure to social media. A recent Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that 76% of adults in the US don’t think kids should use social media before they turn 13, and about the same amount said they see social media as having a negative impact on children’s mental health. It’s no surprise, then, that a new survey identifies social media, internet safety, kids’ exposure to screen time, and dependence on devices like smartphones as parents say they worry most about.
What does the research say
The 2023 Mott Poll was released, which he conducted The University of Michigan CS Mott Children’s Hospital National Survey of Children’s Health, asked 2,099 parents to rank the issues they were most concerned about when it came to their children’s health. The top spot went to “excessive use of devices/screen time,” which 67% of respondents described as a pressing concern, followed by children’s use of social media (66%) and internet safety (62%).
This was followed by mental health concerns, with 57% of parents expressing concern about their children experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts. Bullying was cited as a concern by 53%, while stress and anxiety were cited by 52%.
Among the top ten are an unhealthy diet (52%), healthcare/health insurance costs (50%), school violence (49%) and smoking and/or vaping (48%). Only 12% of parents cited COVID-19 as a concern for a child’s health, while 16% expressed concern about the safety of vaccines.
Concerns about the impact of social media and technology on children have grown amid the pandemic. the 2020 against poll describe excessive use of social media and screen time as the top concern (72%), although 2016 And 2017 polls Internet security is ranked fourth (49%) and fifth (55%), respectively. Pre-pandemic, parents described bullying, obesity, and drug use as more pressing concerns.
“Children use social media at a younger age, and parents struggle with how to appropriately monitor this area and help their children avoid the negative aspects of its use,” the Mott Poll report states.
What do the experts say
Parents are clearly concerned about the impact of technology on their children – but are their concerns unfounded? Although some studies have linked screen time in young children to poor sleep and developmental delays, the research is mixed. It is noteworthy that the file American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) no longer gives a recommended screen time limit.
“There is insufficient evidence to demonstrate benefit from specific guidelines for limiting screen time,” says the AAP. “Because children and teens can have different types of interactions with technology, rather than establishing guidelines for specific time limits for digital media use, we recommend looking at the quality of interactions with digital media and not just the quantity or amount of time.”
Social media also isn’t quite cut and dry. In May, the American Psychological Association (APA) released new social media guidelines for preteens and teens, noting that for some — including LGBTQ youth and teens who lack support at home — having an online community is important. But the APA also urged parents to monitor their children’s social media use and ensure that children have sufficient media literacy skills to critically analyze the information they get online.
APA President Thema Bryant said about the guidelines in statement. But because young people mature at different rates, some are more vulnerable than others to the content and features on the many social media platforms that science has shown can influence healthy development. Just as we require youth to be trained in order to obtain a driver’s license, our youth need instruction on the safe and healthy use of social media.”
Dr. Kelly Fradenis a pediatrician and author Advanced parentingAccording to Yahoo Life, Mott’s latest survey results “completely agree with what I hear from my friends and patients.”
She adds: “Social media in particular is very present in our daily lives as adults, or as children, and I think we as a society struggle with how to set appropriate boundaries with it (and) how to deal with it well – the communication and information we can find online – without it becoming It is a hindrance to our well-being.”
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Aramaic style He also points out that social media and the Internet, in general, can exacerbate a lot of other concerns regarding a child’s health. “Devices can expose children to risks such as bullying, inappropriate content, misinformation, online predators, body image issues, addiction, loss of face-to-face interaction, and potentially negative impact on mental health and academic success,” she says.
What can parents do?
The big question many parents face is determining when their child is old enough to enter social media, given the assumption that there is no replay of the proverbial genie in the bottle. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy This year he shared that he considers 13 “too early”. Fraden also advises “delaying screen time and social media until your child is ready for it” — noting that “readiness” can vary from child to child.
“The reality is, once kids start using social media, they also need supervision to make sure they are kind to others, access appropriate content, and (connect with) people they know rather than strangers,” adds Fraden. “And that supervision is also a time-consuming one for parents. So before you give in to peer pressure or a child’s demands for access, really think about whether you have the bandwidth as a parent to support in the way that will maintain your child’s well-being — because it’s not easy.”
Fraden adds that it can be hard for parents to feel like they’re the only “handicap” who doesn’t allow their kids to use a smartphone or set up a Snapchat account. groups like Wait until the eighth (as in eighth grade) They can be powerful tools for parents looking for accountability and support when it comes to raising kids on social media.
If a child is already online, Aramian advises parents to “engage in open communication” about what they might be experiencing and how that might make them feel. She says setting boundaries is also key.
“It’s important to educate children about online safety and to use parental controls when possible,” adds Aramian. “Make sure your child feels comfortable enough to approach you if they encounter anything inappropriate or distressing.”
Parents—some of whom may be guilty of “phone-using” or “phone-contempt” around their children—should model discipline around their own devices. That could mean turning off Dad’s Apple Watch notifications after work, swapping the watch for Netflix for a family game night binge or setting guidelines that everyone in the house should follow.
“Kids need to see you away from your phone and (model) what it’s like to not be dependent on the device,” says Aramian. “If dinner is a time when children are not screened, I would encourage parents to put their phones away. The devices block our view of each other and prevent personal communication, so it is important for everyone’s well-being that they learn to put their phones away.”
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