Latest news with #OvertheInfluence:SocialMediaIsToxicforWomenandGirls—AndHowWeCanTakeItBack
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Screen time is both a cause and symptom of kids' bad behavior, according to new research
Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book 'Over the Influence: Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back' was published in 2024 by Alcove Press. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. Does your child not listen to you? Do they kick and scream when they get angry? You may need to rethink their screen time, according to an article published Monday in Psychological Bulletin, a journal of the American Psychological Association. The more time kids spent looking at a screen, the more likely their actions and feelings didn't meet expectations for their stage of development, according to a meta-analysis of 117 studies of kids younger than 10½ when the research began. These socioemotional problems included anxiety, depression, hyperactivity and aggression. The association was small but significant, especially for girls. The studies were designed in different ways but the overall picture showed that trouble occurred when kids under age 2 had any screen time (other than video chats), when kids ages 2-5 had more than an hour per day of screen time and when older kids had more than 2 hours per day of screen time. Kids who spent a lot of time on games were particularly at risk. And 6-to-10-year-olds were more likely to develop socioemotional problems than children age 5 or younger. What's more, kids who experienced these challenges tended to turn to screens even more to cope, which could exacerbate the problem. This was especially the case for boys. 'High screen use isn't just a cause of problems — sometimes, it's a symptom,' said lead author Roberta Pires Vasconcellos via email , noting one of the most striking findings. 'In many cases, children who are already struggling emotionally turn to screens, especially video games, as a way to cope or escape,' said Vasconcellos , who is a n associate lecturer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. 'While that might offer short-term relief, over time it can trap them in a cycle that reinforces those emotional difficulties.' One of the largest of its kind, the meta-analysis has limitations, however, because it couldn't account for factors such as parenting style or socioeconomic status, Vasconcellos said. And since the studies looked at screen time more broadly, they couldn't pinpoint the effects of social media use on kids' mental health. Nevertheless, this latest data on kids and screen time suggests specific actions parents or guardians can take to have a real, positive impact on their kids' mental health. Adults often give kids screens to help them calm down, especially during work time or in other situations when children need to be quiet, such as at a restaurant. 'While this may offer short-term relief, it can lead to longer-term problems,' Vasconcellos warned. That's because it may prevent kids from learning how to behave appropriately and handle their emotions. 'Instead of developing self-regulation skills, they come to rely on screens for comfort and distraction,' she said. 'This can reinforce a harmful cycle where emotional difficulties are masked rather than addressed, making it even harder for children to cope without a screen over time.' Look for signs that children are reaching for screens when they have a problem. Rather than assuming the problem is the screen itself, look at the bigger picture, Vasconcellos said. ' If you notice your child turning to screens more often when they're upset or withdrawn, it might be time to check in on how they're doing emotionally,' she advised. 'In some cases, they might be seeking the sense of connection or support they're not finding in their face-to-face relationships — at home, at school or in other social settings.' That's when they need parental support and guidance the most — 'to help them feel heard, understood and emotionally safe, both online and offline,' Vasconcellos said. School guidance counselors or therapists are also good sources of support. The amount of time kids spend gaming is also important to note, according to the study. ' Online games, in particular, pose additional risks because they often function like social media platforms,' Vasconcellos said. 'Since these games continue even when a player logs out, children may feel pressure to stay connected for longer periods, which can lead them to neglect important real-life activities like sleep, schoolwork and face-to-face interactions. 'For this reason, gaming may require extra attention and clearer boundaries — especially for older children, who are typically granted more independence in how they use their time.' It's important to set rules for kids' screen time and stick to them. 'Keeping rules consistent helps children know what to expect and makes limits easier to follow,' Vasconcellos said. Parental controls on phones and apps are also useful. 'Most devices offer built-in tools to help you manage screen time and filter content,' she said. 'Use these settings to set reasonable daily limits and ensure your child is only accessing age-appropriate material.' To help prevent kids from depending too much on devices, Vasconcellos suggests removing apps such as video streaming platforms that are particularly tempting. Instead, give kids content that is educational or that serves a good purpose. The results of this study didn't surprise me. In my research, therapists and teachers often complain that parents or guardians aren't willing to set limits and say no when their kids ask for screens. When I say no to my own kids, their reactions aren't always pleasant. I have to remind myself that, as their mom, it's my job to know what's best for them and to make decisions that will keep them healthy in the long run — even if it leads to short-term distress for us all. Limiting kids' phone use is also wise. A newly published consensus statement I coauthored with experts around the globe offers evidence that heavy use of social media and smartphones by young people is linked to problems with sleep, attention, addiction and body dissatisfaction. When I speak to parents about how to handle their kids' social media use, they often tell me they feel they need to give their younger kids a phone at the same age their older siblings got one. That's not true. Tell younger kids who make this argument that you are more experienced now and have more data showing how screen time can be harmful. Also consider attractive alternatives to a phone. One mom told me she offered her daughter $1,600 to wait until she was 16 to get a phone. Her daughter took the cash. While many people don't have that kind of disposable income, you can still be creative and propose other things that kids would like. Sleepovers with friends, or a family camping adventure are just some examples. No matter what you offer, it's important to rethink the way you let your kids use technology. Since screen time may be both a cause and a symptom of behavioral and emotional problems in children, get comfortable saying no. It may provoke kicking and screaming in the moment, but it will likely lead to better mental health in the long run. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Parents of ultra-successful kids do these things
EDITOR'S NOTE: Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her book 'Over the Influence: Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back' was published in 2024 by Alcove Press. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. When Jerry Groff's 14-year-old daughter Sarah told him she wanted to swim across a 9-mile lake one Sunday morning, he could have responded in several ways: This idea is crazy — and even dangerous. You should practice swimming more first. We already have other plans. Instead, Jerry and his son boated next to Sarah as she swam. And Jerry's wife, brother and sister-in-law drove along the lake in case Sarah needed a ride home, Susan Dominus wrote in her just-released book, 'The Family Dynamic: A Journey Into the Mystery of Sibling Success.' Sarah ended up swimming the whole lake and setting a town record that day. Today, Sarah True is a two-time Olympian and professional athlete. Her brother, Adam Groff, is a successful entrepreneur. And her sister, Lauren Groff, is an acclaimed novelist. Having parents who fostered their independence was a common theme among people who have grown up to make outsize achievements, according to Dominus, a New York Times Magazine staff writer who interviewed six families for the book. These parents 'were not afraid to let their kids fail at something that seemed really hard,' she said. 'They let their kids make their choices, even if they knew those choices would be difficult.' It's just one of the lessons parents and guardians can take from her research into raising successful kids. While the parents Dominus profiled generally supported their kids' dreams, they didn't micromanage their children's progress. 'In not one of these families were the parents overly involved in their kids' educational lives,' she said. 'They were paying attention, they were supportive, they were there.' But when they showed up for their kids' games, they didn't try to tell the coaches how to do their jobs. Instead, Dominus said, parents focused largely on providing warm, supportive homes and let people like teachers, coaches and other mentors handle the instruction and discipline of their children. In part, adults didn't 'overparent' because they themselves were busy serving as powerful examples, working hard and contributing to their communities. Generally, whether they worked outside or inside the home, they 'were in roles that they felt were meaningful,' Dominus said. While she was raising her children in Florida in the 1950s, another parent, Millicent Holifield, persuaded the state to create a nursing school for Black women. One of her children, Marilyn Holifield, chose to be one of the first students to desegregate her high school in the early '60s and went on to become a local civic leader and the first Black woman partner at a major law firm in Florida. As a Harvard Law School student, Millicent's son Bishop fought for changes to promote racial equity at the school and later convinced the state of Florida to reopen the Florida A&M University law school so more Black lawyers could be trained. Another son, Ed, became a cardiologist and public health advocate. These driven parents imparted the belief that their kids could conquer the world, too. 'There was a tremendous optimism among so many of these families,' Dominus said. 'It's one thing just to say that. But your kids know if you feel it or if you don't, and their own lives had given them reason for optimism.' That's because many of those parents had overcome difficult things 'or surprised themselves or surprised even societal expectations.' Another common theme was valuing education and being curious and open to new experiences, like travel, art and music. To have those experiences, the parents of ultra-successful siblings needed to find the right places and people. They tended to have supportive villages — literally and figuratively. 'They didn't just live in neighborhoods that offered a lot of enrichment,' Dominus said. 'They took great advantage of it.' The Holifields lived near a university in Tallahassee and made the most of it by taking their kids to local cultural events and enrolling them in art lessons, a children's theater and a journalism workshop. Other parents worked to connect their kids to successful people who could teach them skills. Ying Chen immigrated to the United States from China, worked seven days a week in her family's restaurant and wasn't fluent in English, but she cultivated relationships with accomplished local musicians she met so her children could learn to play instruments. Her son Yi became the fifth employee at Toast, a restaurant management business that went public with the biggest IPO in Boston's history. Chen's son Gang joined another notable startup, Speak, which uses AI to help people learn languages. Her daughter, Elizabeth, became a physician. And her son Devon went on to work for Amazon. Of course, we don't all need to raise CEOs or Olympic athletes. People who pour so much energy into one pursuit often have less time to invest in other aspects of their lives, Dominus found in her research for the book. 'To achieve really great things requires sacrifice — and that can be in love. It can be in quality of relationships. It can be in peace of mind, it can be in downtime, it can be in reflection,' she said. If kids set hugely ambitious goals for themselves, it's a good idea to 'remind them that there are costs associated with it.' Parents or guardians often worry about whether they're making the right decisions about things like whether to co-sleep or punish kids, but Dominus said 'these variations, it turns out, have less effect on things like personality and other kinds of outcomes than we really imagined that they do.' Instead, focus on having strong relationships with your children and, most important, Dominus said, 'don't demotivate your kid by being overly involved.' The parents Dominus profiled were the kind who didn't tell their kids they had to swim a lake but let them give it a shot when they wanted to — and were there to love and support them regardless of whether they failed or set a record. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
