Is This the Key to Fixing the Screen-Induced Mental Health Crisis?
By Movieguide® Contributor
Clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy knows all about the dangers of kids and technology, but she sees an even bigger problem in the mental health crisis brought on by screens that isn’t being addressed: boundaries — specifically, parents setting and sticking to healthy boundaries.
“As a clinical psychologist specializing in parenting and family relationships, I have noticed a trend of swapping out important boundaries with keeping kids happy,” she explained. “Here’s the thing: kids have always pushed limits and asked for things that aren’t good for them; in fact, this is part of a kid doing their job, as they’re meant to explore the world and figure out the ‘edges’ or limits. And while kids continue to do their job, parents are really struggling to do theirs — and as a result, the family system is off-balance and mental health is suffering.”
READ MORE: HOW SETTING — AND ENFORCING — BOUNDARIES ACTUALLY HELP YOUR KIDS
Kennedy explains that ‘Sturdy Leadership’ is missing, and she gives parents a formula for how to achieve it.
“Sturdy Leadership is a model of parental authority where parents both hold boundaries and stay connected to a child or, actually, improve connection through these moments. They do this by validating their child’s feelings while holding firm on what is best for everyone,” she said. “You can think of it like a math equation: Validation of feelings + holding boundaries = Sturdy Leadership.”
What if you’ve already let down your guard with your children and failed to uphold boundaries? Kennedy says it’s okay, and it’s never too late to start over.
“It’s never too late, the right time to change is always right now. So if you’re a parent who already gave your kids a phone or access to social media and you wish you had held back, all is not lost.”
Other professionals have weighed in on the dangers of social media and screen time.
“Experts have drawn a troubling connection between social media use and rising mental health issues in young people. Dr. Vinitha Moopen with WellSpan Health told Fox43 that physicians have seen “a large increase” in children suffering from depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and issues with self-image, as well as kids who have trouble interacting with people face-to-face as opposed to on a screen.
A 2014 study from UCLA supports this finding — the study found that kids who went screen-free for five days were better at reading emotional cues than children who had access to screens for those same five days.”
READ MORE: SOCIAL MEDIA IS ‘HURTING’ OUR KIDS — WE NEED TO ‘STEP IN’
Not sure what boundaries to start with? Something as simple as your child’s age can give you a good idea of how much and what kind of screen time boundaries are appropriate.
Movieguide® founder Dr. Ted Baehr advises parents “Ascertain your children’s susceptibility at each stage of cognitive development.”
“Not only do children see the media differently at each stage of development, but also different children are susceptible to different stimuli. As the research of the National Institute of Mental Health revealed many years ago, some children want to copy media violence, some are susceptible to other media influences, some become afraid, and many become desensitized. Just as an alcoholic would be inordinately tempted by a beer commercial, so certain types of media may tempt or influence your child at his or her specific stage of development,” he wrote.
Dayton Children’s recommends the following screen time boundaries depending on your child’s age:
Infant: Avoid screen time.
Preschool: Limit non-educational screen time, and exposure to social media. Cowatch your child’s activity.
Elementary: Limit social media, start talking about media literacy, continue to cowatch with y our child.
Tweens: Consider requests for access and work on a family plan for social media use.
Teens: Continue conversations about social media use, risks and benefits. Help your teen problem-solve.
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