Talking To Our Kids About Screens
Smartphones have become a constant companion in our teens' lives. From connection with family and friends to entertainment and background noise, young people rely on their smartphones for different types of mental health support, relaxation, and distraction—at home and at school, and during the day and night.
Common Sense Media has focused its research efforts on hearing directly from young people about both the role and the impact of media and technology in their lives. A diverse sample of 203 U.S. preadolescents (ages 11 to 12) and adolescents (ages 13 to 17) with their own smartphones were recently recruited by Horowitz Research to conduct this particular study.
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Here are the 7 key takeaways.
Young users admit they struggle managing technology use
Phone use during school hours is alarming (up to 6.5 hours)
Notifications are stressful (average of 237/day)
TikTok is highly addictive (up to 7 hours/day)
Over half of the participants used their phones between midnight-5am on school nights
Nearly half of the participants used apps with mature or adult-only ratings (including Pornhub and sports/betting apps)
The smartphone is a constant companion (average use of 4.5 hours and up to 498 "pick ups" per day)
Now that we know, now what?
Below are some discussion points that parents can use to start the conversation about phone use and to help their teens take back control.
● What does it feel like when you don’t have your phone or the room is too quiet? Are you worried about missing out on anything?
● What is your favorite app? Do you feel stressed or excited by it? Or both?
● Does it feel like a job or “work” to stay up to date on everything?
● What does it feel like when your phone is commanding your attention vs. just being in the background of your mind?
● Have you ever noticed what you’re thinking about if there’s no background noise on?
● Do you ever get a sense that you’ve been on your phone too long? What are the signs for you?
● Which apps take up most of your time? Why is this?
● What about the apps you like make it hard to put down?
The good news...
As noted in the study, the good news is that many young people have grown savvier about how their phones try to draw them in, and they're taking steps to protect their digital well-being. However, the business model of these apps and devices depends on users picking up their phones and engaging with them as much as possible, and it's clear that young people are struggling to set boundaries.
Helping kids develop digital well-being requires support from parents and educators...and Teen Esteem+ is here as a resource for you!