The Screen Scene for Teens: Challenges for Parents and Kids

Screen time. We hear these two words quite a bit. They roll right off the tongue and generally carry a negative vibe once someone hears them. While we try to reduce the hours and minutes spent using devices such as smartphones, computers, televisions, videos or tablets, screens are undeniably part of everyday life.

It’s no wonder screen time is on the rise, especially among teenagers. The average teen spends 7 hours and 22 minutes looking at screens each day and American teens’ screen time has increased by around two hours since 2015. Teens in the U.S. spend almost three hours longer on screens than U.S. tweens. Teenage boys clock nearly an hour more daily screen time than teenage girls.
With screens virtually everywhere, it’s no wonder parents are worried and kids are distracted. We know that too much screen time and regular consumption of non-educational or poor programming has been linked to a variety of health risks. These include obesity; inadequate sleep schedules and insufficient sleep; behavior problems; developmental delays in language and social skills; less time spent learning; poor self-image and body issues; violence or erratic behavior; and fear of missing out.

Monitoring a child’s screen time can be challenging and exhausting. How do we manage this delicate virtual world? Positive and healthy screen use is possible with proper guidance and consistency. And we don’t have to tackle screen time challenges on our own, either. Some organizations are ready and available to help when parents, groups or families need it. Here are a few.

Screen Sanity
Founded in 2018 by three moms, this nonprofit helps families and communities pursue digital health in order to reduce loneliness, depression, anxiety and suicide in a socially isolated society. With screens and devices seeping into every corner of our children’s lives, Screen Sanity saw a need for programs, resources and tools designed to support families navigating their way.

Their programming includes trainings, webinars, speakers and group studies. Guides and programs are geared toward all ages. Screen Sanity has transformed from a grassroots idea to a global movement. The mission of Screen Sanity is to create a world where kids are captivated by life, not screens. Their goal is to build trust with families, so when a family hits a new technological milestone, they know exactly where to turn.

Wait Until 8th
So far, more than 60,000 parents have said yes to waiting on the smartphone for their families. Becoming very popular across the country, the Wait Until 8th pledge encourages parents to delay getting their children smartphones.

By signing the online pledge, parents promise not to give their child a smartphone until at least the end of eighth grade as long as at least ten families total from your child’s grade and school pledge. Once ten families have pledged to delay the smartphone, parents are notified that the pledge is active and receive a list of families who are doing the same. If parents would like their children to have a basic phone or smartwatch to call and text only, they can still sign the pledge.

Anxious generation
This award-winning, best-selling book is written by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. In The Anxious Generation, Haidt discusses how “the great rewiring of childhood” interferes with children’s social and neurological development and leads to an epidemic of teen mental illness. He discusses how the “play-based childhood” began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the “phone-based childhood” in the early 2010s. Haidt’s book isn’t all doom and gloom, though. He issues a clear call to action and proposes four simple rules that might be helpful in a screen-driven world: no smartphones before high school; no social media before 16; phone-free schools; more independence, free play and responsibility in the real world.

It’s no secret that screens are here to stay and can offer many positives to our everyday life. But managing a child’s screen time is a journey and what may be the right plan for one family may not be a good fit for another. The good thing is that it’s never too early to develop a plan with our families. Letting our children share their ideas and concerns can be helpful in the screen journey they will continue for the rest of their lives.

Sources: mayoclinic.org, screensanity.org, aacap.org, waituntil8th.org and anxiousgeneration.com.

Our Actions Speak Volumes!
• Set a good example with our own safe and healthy screen habits. 
• Familiarize ourselves with programming to make sure it is age appropriate. 
• Talk to children about what they are seeing, online privacy and safety.
• Encourage other activities such as sports, music, art and hobbies that do not involve screens. 
• Encourage screen creativity and connection with family and friends.