How to know if my child is addicted to social networks – 05/27/2023 – Balance

Every parent who has ever seen their child robotically scroll through their social media feeds, bathed in blue light, has wondered about the effects this can have on their mental health. In May, both the US Secretary of Health and the American Psychological Association issued warnings about the risks of social media for young people. So what are parents to do?

“Families need to take this seriously,” says Gary Small, chief of psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center. But he adds that teen social media use is not inherently good or bad. Instead, parents need to take a closer look at how this affects their children and whether it is improving their lives or hindering their ability to “function in life and learn”.

We asked Small and other experts on teen development for some practical things parents should consider when evaluating their children’s social media use.

Does my child participate in a variety of activities every day?

That question can be a useful starting point, says Jenny Radesky, medical co-director of the Center of Excellence in Social Networking and Youth Mental Health at the American Academy of Pediatrics. Does your child love or enjoy other daily activities, including some outside of the virtual world?

“Do they play baseball? Do they go to ballet?” echoed Harold S. Koplewicz, president of the Children’s Mind Institute. If kids are doing something besides going to school and spending time on screens, they can have a balanced and healthy relationship with social media, even if they’re on it every day, he suggests.

Also, consider whether social media is your child’s primary emotional outlet, says Radesky: “Whether it’s the number one thing in helping kids feel better if they’ve had a stressful day or need to get away.” If so, it could be a red flag that you need to help them find other coping strategies, whether it’s going for a walk, playing with a pet, reading a book, or whatever.

How many hours a day does my child use social media?

There is no clear, evidence-based threshold for how much social media use is too much for tweens and teens, and expert opinions differ. But time matters, points out Anne Marie Albano, clinical co-director of the NewYork-Presbyterian Center for Youth Mental Health, and parents should have a clear sense of how much their kids are online each day.

Koplewicz says he tends to use a benchmark of no more than four hours of total screen time per day for teens, while Albano often recommends that families aim for a ratio of three to five hours of personal socialization or individual activities for every hour a child spends. teenager spends on social networks.

Adults should also take a look at their own screen habits, says Small. Parents might multitask or spend a lot of time on their devices around their kids. “But they can be role models for their kids of how to have offline time and how important that is,” he says.

Is it difficult to stop using it?

Kids of all ages tend to be unhappy when screen time is up, Albano says, and some level of sulking or whining is to be expected.

“But if you’re seeing tears, if you’re seeing anger, if they’re yelling at you — and if it’s persistent,” it could be a potential warning sign, he points out.

Stopping is a skill parents can teach, says Radesky. She has her own kids use a kitchen timer to indicate when their screen time is up. If they stop without her having to pester them, they get the same screen time the next day. If not, they will receive less.

Do networks affect your sleep or are they a barrier to completing tasks?

All the experts interviewed emphasized the importance of sleep for tweens and teens, and said parents should consider whether social media is causing them to stay up late. Establishing a few family rules, such as keeping all appliances out of the bedroom at night, can help.

Parents should also be aware of whether social media use is disrupting school work or contributing to changes in mood or appetite, which could signal distress. (It might be helpful to check out some of the signs of teen depression.)

Jessi Gold, an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, suggests parents engage in an open, non-judgmental conversation with teens about the impacts of social media and how “it can affect your sleep and mood, concentration and self-esteem.”

“Social networking is there and it’s not going away,” says Gold. “So the answer can’t be to approach your teenager saying, ‘They said this is bad for your mental health, so I’m removing all your screens.’

Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves