By Gavin Boyle
A new report from Pew revealed how children use technology in America and what tactics parents employ to monitor their device usage.
“I feel like my kids should not be on the internet or anything unless they absolutely have to. But nowadays, I have no choice… she’s in middle school right now, and every assignment is online, right?” one parent told Pew.
“I feel guilty because even if it’s 20, 15 minutes that he’s on his tablet, that’s time we could spend together,” another parent added when explaining why they work so hard to limit screen time.
Related: Wondering When to Give Your Child a Smartphone? Here’s What the Data Says
Nonetheless, children spend more and more time on devices every year with 90% of kids under the age of 12 regularly using a TV, 68% of kids regularly using a tablet and 61% of kids regularly using a smart phone. Surprisingly, 8% of kids under 12 also use an AI chatbot on a regular basis.
Many parents work hard to keep their kids off of their screens, but nearly half believe they could be doing better. At the same time, 86% of parents have some rules concerning screen time which help limit their child’s access.
While most parents know that high screen time is linked to negative mental health, until recently, experts have not been able to provide specifics. In September, a new study revealed that many of the negative side effects of technology start to rapidly decline if parents wait until their children are at least 13 years old to give them their own devices and allow them to use social media.
“Our data indicated that early smartphone ownership [under the age of 13] — and the social media access it often brings — is linked with a profound shift in mind health and wellbeing in early adulthood,” said lead study author Tara Thiagarajan, a neuroscientist at Sapien Labs.
Other experts, however, believe that there is never a good time to introduce technology to kids because it always replaces other things that are much more valuable.
“We have overprotected our children in the real world and under-protected them online. Most Gen Z members will say in surveys that social media messed them up and was a waste of their childhood. It’s a trap — and young people know it’s a trap — but they can’t break out of it because everyone is doing it,” explained psychologist Jonathan Haidt.
While technology provides undeniable benefits such as keeping kids and parents connected throughout the day, it is clear that there are real negative side effects to giving kids their own devices. However, most parents feel the pressure to provide their kids their own phone and struggle with keeping them from becoming addicted. While there is always more that parents can do, many should take solace in knowing they are not alone in feelings of regret or inadequacy.
Read Next: Are We Surprised? An Hour of Play Is Better Than Screen Time
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