In case everyone hasn’t told you that digital media can be bad for kids, new research warns that it’s dangerous for your health.
About 20% of cases of depression and 15% of cases of obesity among young people are associated with excessive screen time, according to a meta-analysis of 121 global studies on children and digital media published Sunday as part of a series of articles in the medical journal The Lancet.
The research provides insight into the extent to which children’s use of digital media has become a public health issue that health authorities should govern and regulate, said Louise Holly, lead author of the research on children and digital media. It shouldn’t just be up to parents to solve these problems, said Holly, policy and research coordinator at the Digital Transformations for Health Lab, a global consortium based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Not all children face the same risks: According to the study, young people with mental health vulnerabilities, less offline support and less digital literacy are more likely to be harmed.
The research used studies that often reported on children’s screen use, and many found that digital media use was associated with harm, but couldn’t say with certainty that it was the cause, Holly said.
According to the study, the use of digital media also leads to many more cases of health problems than beneficial cases among young people.
However, it can be beneficial for children’s health. This can give them ways to become independent, explore their identity, find information, be entertained and make social connections, research shows.
It can have positive impacts on children when it “fulfills what they want,” Holly said, and is used purposefully with support and supervision from caregivers, parents or guardians.
Since no warnings seem to steer children away from digital media, I recommend focusing on how it can be healthy for children and helping them avoid the risks.
Start by telling young people what’s going on in their heads, said Dr. Nicole Amoyal Pensak, a clinical psychologist and founder of Atlantic Coast Mind and Body in Little Silver, New Jersey. She did not participate in the research.
“They are in a specific period of both vulnerability and opportunity because their brains are developing rapidly,” she said. “They have more power and control than they think.”
This is because the brain is very plastic in young people. The parts of their brains that children use are strengthened, while the parts they don’t use atrophy.
Try explaining it like driving, Pensak said. Adults want children to be in charge. Teach them “how to build new roads while getting rid of old roads that don’t serve them,” she said.
How do you do this?
Pensak gives the children prunes to taste in his practice. Most don’t like them, so they try to avoid them in the future. It’s also how we eliminate things from our brains, she said.
“When you don’t like something, or when something doesn’t make you feel good, you try to get rid of it,” she says — or at least reduce it. To know what to prune, teach children to pay attention to how they think, act and feel when using digital media, Pensak said.
If a girl compares her body to others on social media, it’s time to reset.
“They should not focus on that, not go down those roads,” Pensak said. If they do this, their brain will learn to think that way and it will affect their mood and behaviors.
Be a shepherd who helps children find their way rather than someone who only controls access to their devices, Pensak said. You can do this by asking questions about their social media use and consuming content together.
Parents should also help their children explore routes that can be healthy for them.
Digital media shouldn’t replace in-person interactions, but it can complement them by helping children plan social gatherings or connect with like-minded people (as long as they do so safely).
It can also help young people learn new things, so yes to videos that teach them how to crochet, if not how to be creative or how to do things with their hands.
“It’s really hard to be depressed, anxious and have negative thoughts when you’re actively doing things with your hands,” Pensak said.
Digital media can be especially helpful when children are interested in activities that aren’t offered at school or that they don’t formally pursue, she said. Maybe some friends get together and make up a dance and record it on video.
Things that are challenging – think leveling up a video game – are also great for kids’ brains. “As you develop your self-efficacy and self-confidence, you will face another challenge,” Pensak said. “And it builds your brain in a really healthy and great way.”
This latest research confirms what parents know: digital media can be terrible for our kids. Unfortunately, more data is unlikely to lure most kids away from their devices. So let’s try to reorient the way they use them.
Kara Alaimo is a professor of communications at Fairleigh Dickinson University and advises parents, students and teachers on how to manage screen time. Her book “Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back” was published in 2024.
Be inspired by a weekly summary on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for news and tools designed to improve your well-being.
Gn Health
