Tech Talk Tuesdays: Wait Until 8th

We’re introducing something new here at the Milford Prevention Council. Research shows anxiety and depression in tweens and teens has risen over 50% in the last ten years - this is linked to screen use and social media engagement: which can be just as addictive as drugs, alcohol, and gambling. Having open and enduring conversations about screen time with your family can reduce confusion and addictive behaviors while creating connections with your children. It also gives you a safe space to talk about your expectations as a parent.

Dr. Delany Ruston’s film “Screenagers” is a wonderful resource about this very topic. In her weekly newsletters, she shares her family’s discussions to help manage and decrease struggles around screen time. We’re committed to doing the same here at MPC and will bring you topics and information about technology use through our new weekly series “Tech Talk Tuesdays”. We’ll post and repost articles and thoughts and ideas about technology, addiction prevention, and parenting.

This week we’re talking about the “Wait Until 8th” campaign. There are a lot of research dedicated to why you should delay giving your child a smartphone. This campaign outlines the top 10 reasons to wait:

SMARTPHONES ARE CHANGING CHILDHOOD
Playing outdoors, spending time with friends, reading books and hanging out with family is happening a lot less to make room for hours of scrolling social media and gaming. With children spending anywhere between 3 to 7 hours daily in front of a screen, many childhood essentials are pushed aside for online amusement.

SMARTPHONES ARE ADDICTIVE

New research shows dependence on your smartphone may produce some of the same addictive brain responses similar to alcohol, drug and gambling addictions. Smartphones are like slot machines in your children's pocket constantly persuading them to crave more.

SMARTPHONES ARE AN ACADEMIC DISTRACTION

The early results of a landmark study on brain development by the National Institute of Health show children who spent more than two hours a day looking at a screen got lower scores on thinking and language tests. Research from the University of Texas suggests the mere presence of your smartphone reduces cognitive capacity and test-taking brainpower.

EXCESSIVE SMARTPHONE USE IS ALTERING CHILDREN’S BRAINS

Initial results from a groundbreaking study by the National Institute of Health reveal that MRI's found significant differences in the brains of children who use smartphones, tablets, and video games more than seven hours a day. Children who spent an excessive amount of time on screens were found to have a premature thinning of the cortex.

SMARTPHONES IMPAIR SLEEP

Studies show that the use of smartphones and other portable devices with screens affects the quantity and quality of sleep in children and teens. Sleep disturbance in childhood is known to have adverse effects on health, including poor diet, obesity, weakened immune system, stunted growth, and mental health issues.

SMARTPHONES INTERFERE WITH RELATIONSHIPS

Many parents regret allowing their child to have a smartphone because they have experienced the way the smartphone is destructive to relationships. Face to face relationships dwindle as children shift their time and energy to investing in their online “friendships.”

SMARTPHONES INCREASE THE RISK FOR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Children are not emotionally equipped to navigate tricky social media waters at such an early age. Viewing someone else’s highlight reel on social media often leads youth to think they are missing out or are not enough compared with their peers. Research shows that the more time someone uses social media the more likely they are to be depressed. A Harvard Business Review showed the more you use Facebook the worse you feel. Another report demonstrated that adolescents’ psychological well-being decreased the more hours a week they spent on screens.

SMARTPHONES PUT YOUR CHILD AT RISK FOR CYBERBULLYING

About one out of every four children has experienced cyberbullying. Only one in 10 victims will inform a parent or trusted adult of their abuse. According to the researchers, the increased risk of cyberbullying related to phone ownership could be tied to increased opportunity and vulnerability.

SMARTPHONES EXPOSE CHILDREN TO SEXUAL CONTENT

Smartphones have enabled children to view pornography anywhere. One study showed that 42% of online youth users have been exposed to online pornography. Also, various apps open the doors to sexual predators seeking to track, groom and harm our children.

TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVES BAN SMARTPHONES FOR THEIR CHILDREN

###/h3 New York Times piece, many technology executives wait until their child is 14 before they allow them to have a phone. While these teenagers can make calls and text, they are not given a data plan until 16. Executives that flourish on the success of technology are protecting their children from the smartphone.

Should we not do the same? So what can we do to take action? TAKE THE PLEDGE

For more information please reach out to Milford Prevention Council at info@milfordprevention.org