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A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of viewing the excellent documentary, ANGST – Raising Awareness About Anxiety and participating as a panel member after the film.  (You can read my summary of the documentary here.)

One of the questions, we were asked was about anxiety and devices. 

Smart Phone Concerns

Over the years. there’s been a lot of research about the correlation between social anxiety and devices/social media but some very interesting, new research from the University of Michigan – Monitoring the Future (2017) shows today’s youth are more insular, which is often related to anxiety, since the advent of the first iPhone which was released in 2007.

How Many Times Per Week Are Teens Going Out With Their Friends, Without Their Parents Compared to 1990?

In 1990, the average for tenth graders was 2.4x/week, in 2007 when the smart phone was released 2.3x/wk. and the trend has been declining steadily since then.  In 2015, the average was approximately once/week.

How Motivated Are Twelfth Graders to Drive Compared to 1978?

In 1978, approximately 88% of twelfth graders had their driver’s licence.  In 2007, 77% had their driver’s licence and in 2015, 73% had their driver’s licence. 

What Percentage of Twelfth Graders Go Out on Dates Compared to 1976?

In 1976, 82% were going out on dates.  In 2007, 73% were going out on dates and in 2015, approximately 59% were going out on dates.

What Percentage of 8th, 10th and 12th Graders Agreed or Mostly Agreed with the Statement: “I often feel left out of things” Compared to 1991?

In 1991, approximately 30% reported they did, in 2007 25% reported they did, and then the numbers steadily increased reaching 33% in 2015.

What Percentage of 8th, 10th and 12th Graders Agreed or Mostly Agreed with the Statement: “I often feel lonely” Compared to 1991?

In 1991 approximately 27% reported they did, in 2007 21% reported they did (perhaps the numbers declined in this year as this is when the smart phone first came out and at first it seemed like a great thing to teens and seemed to bring happiness) and then the numbers have steadily increased since then.  In 2015, 31% reported they felt lonely.

Although these numbers are approximate, they are showing us trends that are concerning.  Furthermore, it is a correlation that the invention of the smart phone is connected to these concerning trends, not an actual causation where we know for certain that variable x = variable y.  However, it seems to fair say that there are legitimate smart phone concerns.

We do know that the percentages of children and youth who feel anxious and/or depressed are also on the steady increase, that kids are spending more and more time online and the concerning mental health statistics are not plateauing but continuing to increase.

At first glance, it may seem positive that kids are staying home more and not venturing out so much, but we need our teens to have practice going out into the world while they are living at home so they have support as they navigate various challenges.  If they don’t go a little out of their comfort zone now, it will get more and more difficult for them to put themselves out there as they get older.

How Can This Research on Smart Phone Concerns Help Our Parenting?

• We need to find ways to keep our kids interacting and socializing without always depending on devices and video games.  If we are hosting a playdate we can set guidelines that a certain portion of the playdate can be video games and then the other time needs to be spent outside or playing off devices.

• We need to limit our children’s screen-time, especially in the evening, so that they can get a break from all the posting and messaging that is a steady stream.  They need their homes to be a break from all the social posturing and meanness that occurs online. Read my post about the software I recommend to enforce online limits here. I also recommend delaying screen time for young children for as long as possible.

• We need to encourage and foster our children’s independence.  Once they are old enough to take public transit, we need to encourage this, instead of being a full-time chauffeur.  In a previous post, I’ve written about How Much to Hold On or Let Go (and the importance of taking a bus by themselves).

• Our children need our support in facing situations which make them feel uncomfortable.  Avoidance fuels anxiety, thus permitting avoidance releases the angst in the short-term but creates more anxiety in the long-term.  We can create a supportive step-by-step plan to help our children face their fears.  (Read about creating a step-by-step plan here.)

• If our child is finding it difficult to make social connections, we need to think of other ways to help our child find his/her like-minded peers.

• We can encourage social connections, which don’t require electronics, by suggesting to our child that he/she invites a few friends over to our home or on an outing such as solving the puzzles at an escape room, a casual dinner at a restaurant, or an afternoon at the local swimming pool etc.

A few years ago, I summarized Sherry Turkle’s excellent work about the digital world titled “Alone Together” here.  It appears as though this is the trend that is becoming more pervasive as we hear more and more about smart phone concerns, which means we have to be proactive. 

We need to help our children grow their wings and leave the nest,

“Until you spread your wings,  you have no idea how far you can fly” ~ Unknown

Warmly,

PPS.  If you found this article helpful, please forward to your friends and family and share on social media.  Thank you, I really appreciate it.

PPPS.  I believe the key to decreasing the high rates of child and teen anxiety is to teach them about the negative, worry thoughts from an early age.  If you have a child age 5-10 yrs. I have written a comprehensive children’s book, Surfing the Worry Imp’s Wave which teaches all the strategies and tools that I teach in my 7 week anxiety course.  It also comes with an in-depth Digital Discussion and Activity Guide to support you in teaching your child what he/she needs to know to understand and overpower the worries.  You can purchase this resource by scrolling up and clicking on the image on the upper right hand side of this page.