Most children own some type of electronic device or smartphone. With this comes an almost constant connection to a virtual world, including social media. Young people are more technologically “connected” than ever. Yet this generation suffers an overwhelming sense of isolation and loneliness. Depression and anxiety rates are higher in teenagers than they have ever been. Evidence supports a strong correlation between this and the amount of time spent on electronic devices. To make matters worse, many parents are too busy to pay attention to their children’s electronic habits. Therefore, masses of children are completely unmonitored.
One of the most practical means to combat these issues is for parents and caregivers to set the device up from the beginning with parental controls. They should teach device responsibility by leading through example. They must also set strict parameters for how and when the device is available and in use. If these processes can be started as soon as a youngster is given a device, there may be some hope that by the young adult years they will already have healthy habits in place. This is clearly not a cure-all solution. Nonetheless, it is a much-needed step in the right direction.
Many elementary school children already have a cell phone or some kind of electronic device. On average, a child gets a smartphone at around 10 years old. Many parents reason that they’re working and their kids need a way to communicate with them in their absence. Likewise, kids are often involved in extracurricular activities, so the family unit is generally more scattered. Thus, smartphones and other electronic devices provide communication that wouldn’t otherwise be available. They have become more of a necessity than an option in many peoples’ minds. For most parents, a mobile device offers a sense of security that they can reach their child at any time, and vice versa. For other parents, mobile devices offer a free form child care.
In either case, parents aren’t justified in letting devices be used without parental monitoring. To do so contributes to the detriments caused by excessive screen time. In fact, too much screen time breeds a host of negative effects. Electronic devices allow freedoms that many children are not equipped to handle in a healthy manner. For instance, there are now approximately 2.1 million iOS apps. A majority of them are free and do not require parental permission to download. This means that most parents have no idea what is even on their child’s device unless they make a concerted effort to check. This poses a challenge for most households. Specifically, these unchecked issues threaten the future mental health of our children.
Parents should consider a few other key problems. A recent poll showed that children ages 8-12 spend an average of 4 hours and 36 minutes a day on some type of electronic device. Young people are constantly connected to some source of instant response through social media or texting, or engrossed in an app or a game. These youngsters hear every beep, ding, and notification. They respond in seconds as if addressing a life-threatening situation. In addition, increased screen time can lead to lower self-esteem and damaged social skills. It can also put children and teens at risk of obesity, sleep problems, cyber-bullying, negative performance at school, and risky behaviors. Kids’ bodies and minds are paying a price for participation in the world of virtual reality. The spike in depression and anxiety rates serves as evidence.
The words “depression” and “anxiety” have almost become synonymous in recent years, and the statistics for teens are startling. Parents would be wise to understand exactly what these words mean. They should consider the role that electronic devices may be playing in their children’s lives. Depression and anxiety rates for teens (and even younger) are currently running off the charts. Ironically, so is mobile device usage. In three years, depression rates in youth ages 12-17 increased 63%. Simultaneously, the years those statistics were measured included the year that smartphones became most popular.
Granted, it may be nearly impossible to determine a strict cause and effect. Still, it is not hard to ascertain there is a strong correlation between the two. A recent study found that increased time with electronic devices might have contributed to increased symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts among teens. Parents need to wake up to the epidemic we have on our hands. They must heed create a way for their children to use electronics with a reduced risk of negative effects.
Solutions do exist for avoiding the pitfalls that frequently accompany unhealthy device habits. However, implementing these actions proves challenging given that many parents fail to lead by example. The average U.S. adult consumer spends a whopping 5 hours a day on their devices. Clearly the most basic reform needs to start with parents changing their own habits as role models for their children. Parents need to be honest about their own device habits, and then be willing to take action. Unfortunately it is not realistic to believe that leading by example is going to be the precipitous for major reform. For concerned parents though, it is a simple call to action that has the potential to affect their children’s choices and start them on a more positive path. It is a small movement in the attack on a much bigger problem.
In an ideal world, parents pay attention to their childrens’ use of technology. Unfortunately, many parents don’t have the time, energy, or desire. Some parents don’t even have the knowledge. This equals childhood depression. Child psychologist Adam Pletter states, “We (adults) are digital immigrants. We did not grow up with Internet and cell phones — at least most of us did not. So there’s a real dilemma, in that we’re in charge of safeguarding our kids and teaching our kids how to be savvy digital users, and we don’t have all the skills.”
The good news is that there are now plenty of resources available to combat depression stemming from technological obsession. The Internet is full of articles, tutorials, and videos on how to set up parental controls on mobile devices of all types and brands. Many stores offer support services for understanding newly purchased devices. They can set controls and add safety software before one even walks out the door. Some pioneers in the battle to protect children are even offering classes or webinars to educate parents. While parents and caregivers cannot ever be fully in control of what their youngster does on their electronic devices, these options do offer solid provisions to lay a more firm foundation for protecting their child’s electronic safety and correlating mental health.
Once the parent sets up a mobile device for child-appropriate user success, the real work on promoting healthy electronic habits begins. Awakened and invested parents need to communicate with their children about what they are seeing and participating in when spending time on their screens. Discussions should involve solid rules being set in place about how often the device is in use as well as time constraints that set parameters for allotted screen time.
Parents might be wise to follow the example of Bill Gates. He does not allow his children to ever have devices at the dinner table (and that goes for parents, too). For the younger children in the family Bill Gates said, “We often set a time after which there is no screen time, and in their case that helps [the kids] get to sleep at a reasonable hour.” Gates is an example of an informed parent. He has clearly done his homework as research shows that children who are given fair amounts of screen time in conjunction with set times for device usage, have healthier attitudes towards parental involvement regarding the process. They are less likely to engage in destructive on-line behaviors or develop technology addictions.
Positive device habits establish more room for true connectedness in face-to-face interactions. Families are busier than any generation past. They must establish a clear time and place in the home for electronic device usage. Thus, family members will spend more time in each others’ presence. The benefit of this is twofold. First, families spend less time suffering the negative effects of living in virtual reality. Second, they’ll foster authentic communication. This, in turn, leaves less room for feelings of isolation and depression in youngsters. Ignoring the importance of these issues is a threat to the well being of this next generation. If change is going to happen, parents must step up and set a precedent.
Clearly, the use of electronic devices as an everyday part of society is not going away. In fact, I think it is safe to assume that usage will only continue to increase as technology expands. With that will come the risk to our children’s mental health. Parents need to be aware that we have a serious problem on our hands as it pertains to screen time and how it is affecting our children. We should be taking responsibility for each of our individual roles as parents, caregivers, teachers, etc. We should also know the risks of giving our children mobile devices. This means educating ourselves on the technology. Then, we can set a healthy example in our own habits.
There is no straightforward answer to the war on our children’s minds via ‘virtual reality connectedness.’ The key is to be responsible, invested adults who take the time to inform ourselves of the battles we face. Then, we must take action. It is a small but necessary task to take on if we truly long to see the next generation thrive. The world is swimming in technology. We have no choice.
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Jules Thompson is a Colorado Springs resident who loves jogging, good conversation, researching diverse topics, and being a mom. She is pursuing a B.S. in Psychology with the goal of earning a doctorate in Neuropsychology.
