Teen Screen Time Skyrockets
by Danielle Alexander
Over the last few years, it has become a rare sight to see anyone at a grocery store, a restaurant or even driving (yikes!) without a phone. In fact, according to a report from eMarketer, US adults log 7 hours and 50 minutes on smartphones, desktops and other electronic devices each day, which, according to a Sleep Foundation report, is more time than they report sleeping every night.
With that said, it should come as no surprise that (especially after over a year of virtual everything) our much more tech-savvy teens are also on their screens more than ever. Although screen time can sometimes be beneficial for teenagers, there are consequences that we, as parents, need to not only communicate to our children about but, when necessary, set some boundaries on, as well.
Positives and negatives
According to a recent study by JAMA Pediatrics, adolescents ages 10 to 14 years reported an average of 7.7 hours per day of screen use, mostly spent watching/streaming videos, movies or TV shows; multiple-player gaming; and single-player gaming. In other words, the 5,412 who were interviewed for this study admitted to putting in close to or more than an entire work day, every day, on their phones, iPads or laptops— for leisure. And because of social media, many high school students are clocking in even more screen time each day.
Although the time spent on screens may be alarming, high school guidance counselor Claudia Sitto said she has witnessed advantages of teenagers being on social media: “There’s a sense of belonging for teens who have a hard time connecting [to others] at school; it gives many students a platform to be creative, and it’s also entertaining and fun, which, of course, is important for all.”
Clinical psychologist Dr. Lindsay Najor agrees, especially when COVID-19 first surfaced and teenagers had no choice but to socialize via screens. She said social media apps with photo and video capabilities like SnapChat made them feel less lonely.
Despite the positives, though, it’s common knowledge that when it comes to academics, screen time can definitely be a distraction for teens both in and out of school. Also, if students are already struggling academically, Sitto said she’s noticed that they will often binge on social media in order to distract themselves from thinking about or working on the stressor.
Besides kids’ schoolwork being affected, Sitto said another major struggle she has witnessed concerning increased screen time and social media use has been teenagers’ unrealistic view of someone’s life: “It’s difficult for teens to understand that posts are simply one moment captured in time. Some posts leave people feeling depressed about their own lives, and this causes a spiral of downward feelings and behaviors.”
She added that it is also very easy to bully on social media: “It’s much harder to say something mean to someone’s face. Sometimes schools have no control because a specific name isn’t used, but kids know who a bully is referring to. You can’t imagine the hurt that this causes!”
What parents can do
Whether we like it or not, teenagers will find their way to screens and social media, so, as parents, we should be in constant communication with our own children and not be afraid to set limits.
Just like the conversations we have to have about addictive substances like alcohol or drugs, Sitto said parents should be regularly talking with their kids about social media— whether that is through showing them news coverage on the negative impacts of social media or even simply having children track their own phone-use statistics, reiterating just how much time is wasted on it. She also suggested parents limit usage at night as that is when “emergencies” often happen, and teens feel pressured into staying awake to listen to a friend who is distraught.
“This causes so much disruption to sleep and affects the outcome of the next day,” says Sitto. “Of course we don’t want to encourage teens to not listen to friends, but we do want to encourage self-care. If a kid can say to their friends, ‘My parents make me leave my phone downstairs,’ or ‘I’m not allowed to use my phone past this time,’ it would help alleviate this stress.”
Dr. Najor also said social media should be monitored, suggesting that parents check children’s social media and even follow them.
Danielle Alexander is a mother of two, an adjunct professor at Madonna University and the owner of Edify, LLC, a metro Detroit tutoring, editing and freelance writing business.