Addiction

In this Time magazine article, two college students argue that social media companies are well aware of the negative effects they have on young people, including development of social anxiety, body image issues, eating disorders, depression, suicidal ideations and much more– but refuse to do anything about it. The Wall Street Journal reported recently that Facebook knows Instagram can be mentally detrimental for teenagers and young adults. “We make body image issues worse for one in three teen girls,” a Facebook presentation quoted by the Journal said.

The authors propose a three -step solution. First, they ask that Mark Zuckerberg and others be held accountable for releasing data about the impact social media has on teens that Congress has requested but has not been shared. Second, they feel Congress must hold hearings where young users can share their experiences and discuss the side effects of regular social media usage. Third, they urge elected officials to come to understand that social media is the way most young people socialize, but it needs effective regulation such as banning targeted ads for kids and teens, safeguards to restrict the collection of user data, and tools to stop endless scrolling.

Looks like TikTok is the now social media app to beat, according to a new study by app monitoring firm App Annie that gathers social media data. The latest data research of Andriod phones has found that the average time per user spent on apps is highest for TikTok and this rise to the top is  "upending the streaming and social landscape." While TikTok is viewed on average more than YouTube, YouTube is still the leader in overall time spent (not per user) and has more users overall. Note, the report only accounts for Android devices.

While this article is intended for teachers it makes a good read for parents who need to understand the kind of tech induced stress that teachers and students are under. The abundance of technology can make both teachers and students feel as though they are "always on" and cannot disconnect from school, according to a study by Caroline Murphy, a researcher at the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick. Murphy says the constant presence of devices, especially cell phones, compels teachers to spend more time outside of school hours planning lessons and responding to nighttime emails and text messages – making them feel as though they are on all call hours of the day. Murphy encourages school leaders to establish and adopt policies to support healthy technology use, including encouraging time to disconnect.

Technology is redefining adolescence for members of iGen -- or Generation Z -- according to Debbie Silver, a former Louisiana Teacher of the Year. In a recent article written for Middle Web, she offers insight into today's middle-grade students and shares tips for parents to help kids find balance in the digital world, emphasizing that a dialogue is better than demands when it comes to digital devices and time spent online. She also reminds parents of a remark from author Dr. John Duffy: “When we say things like, “Well, I remember what it was like when I was a teenager,” here is Dr. Duffy’s response: “The truth is, you were never this teenager.”

Researchers tracked 500 teens over 10 years and found that an increase in the amount of time spent on social media sites such as TikTok and Instagram was linked to an increase in long-term suicide risk among teenage girls, but not boys. The findings were published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence. Most of the risk pertained to girls who as young adolescents were already spending a lot of time using social media, TV and/or video games. As their screen time increased over the years, so did their risk for suicide by the time they hit their early- to mid-20s, the findings showed.

"Parents and teens should be open about their amount and type of media they're using, so that they can look out for warning signs, talk about worsening mood or suicidality, and reach out for help," researchers suggest. In the article researchers also stressed common-sense limits around electronic media use. For example, limiting use to less than two hours per day, and not using electronic media after a certain time at night since it can worsen sleep. They also urged parents to have open discussions about online bullying and online safety.

You probably have thought about this before, and even more so since the pandemic, but what are some things you can do to get a conversation about screen time with your kids started, and more importantly, keep it going? Many of us are familiar with the negative effects of excessive screen time, from sleep problems to behavioral issues. But it’s not all bad; some experts say that with moderation, active screen time use comes with benefits such as increasing children’s creativity and imagination and improving motor, coordination, and communication skills. So how do you find that balance?

First, kids and parents need to remember that not all screen time content is created equally. You need to ask yourself, why are they in front of the screen? Is it for education or entertainment? Does it encourage your child or student to create or consume? Will it require them to socialize with others? There is no one type of content that is good for your children. Sometimes pure entertainment is a good thing, but that is not the only kind of content you want you kids to consume. You also need to know what you kids are playing, what apps they are using, and what kind of content creators they are manipulating. Use the tools and apps they are using, and start the conversation by talking about them.

Of course, you probably will need a plan for screen time limits and there are plenty of tools out there to do just that. But remember to monitor your plan depending on how they react to the guidelines. For example, how might they react when you ask them to turn off their device or unplug after 30 minutes of screen time? What about after two hours of screen time? Do the answers change depending on what type of content they are engaging with? Consider the answers to these questions as you assess your family plan.

Finally, model the behavior you want to see from your kids when it comes to technology. Think about the bad tech habits you have fallen into. Are you glued to your computer, tablet or phone screen more than nine hours a day? Do you act like it is ok for you to talk on the phone when at meals or in the car? Whatever it is, remember that your child will copy your behavior. Be mindful of your habits and set a good example next time you pick up your device.

Lastly, remember that the conversations with your child about digital device usage is also crucial to striking a balance. Prioritize time before and after your child is on their device to discuss what they plan on doing on it and what they just finished doing. Other points to talk about include how screen time might differ from at-home or personal screen time, as well as how excessive use can impact how they or their friends behave or interact with each other.

Kindergarten students from low-income households and Black kindergartners are more likely to heavily use technology in later in life according to an analysis of 10,000 students by researchers at Penn State. The findings, that followed youngsters who started Kindergarten in 2010, do not point to potential reasons for these trends, and it is unclear if higher use is harmful, but previous research has documented that low-income families often don’t have access to high quality childcare after school or during the summers and use technology as a babysitter on occasion. According to the findings, Kindergarteners with diagnosed disabilities were more likely to become frequent online gamers but not texters or users of social media such as Snapchat, Twitter or Facebook. Among fifth graders who were heavy users, boys were more likely to gravitate toward video games while girls were more likely to text and engage with social media.

The study does suggest one antidote for parents - reading to your child and encouraging your child to read picture books outside of school might help protect children from becoming heavy device users. Children of all incomes and races who had more exposure to early literacy activities were less likely to become frequent texters or users of social media, the researchers found.

One of the best distractions from a daily influx of technology is books. Looking for some good books to tempt your middle schooler away from their digital devices? Here is a fun list middle school teacher Megan Kelly recommends with some feel good titles from such from authors as Jon Sciezka, Betsy Bird and Gordon Korman.

Every stop to wonder what it might be like as a parent to give up your cellphone? Here is an article with a great account of what happens when a parent chooses to "unbundle" all the things for which they normally rely on a smartphone. Anyone with a smartphone would be wise to do a weekly or monthly check of the device's activity tracker. Seeing how you spend your time can be an eye-opener and, if needed, motivate you to embrace healthier habits.

Parents are concerned about an uptick in social media use among children during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey done in the Spring of 2020 by Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. More than half of the 2,900 parents surveyed said they think social media negatively affects children, for reasons inclusing bullying, hate speech and being too sexual in nature. Claire Coyne, a pediatric psychologist at the hospital, says that in spite of these concerns, social media use does teach teens how to self- regulate. Coyne reminds parents to keep the conversation going and monitor your teen’s mood. She says this is critical in helping kids develop good habits and safety when it comes to social media.