Of Heroes and Villains: The Impact of Screens on Today’s Youth

by | Mar 20, 2024 | Guest Posts, Parenting, Uncategorized

The Lost Boys

Todd and Lionel, ages 13 and 9, are brothers who spend most afternoons after school alone in their apartment. The boys are not allowed to go outside after school because their mother works, and she worries about their safety and the influence of the local children. So, after warming up their Hot Pockets, they play video games or watch movies to pass the time. Their recreational screen time (ST) consumption averages four or more hours a day, and the content is often fraught with violence and sexuality.

Todd used to love Spiderman and Batman, but that has morphed into an obsession with villains, especially The Joker, Pennywise, and Jason. He is socially awkward and has few friends. His conversations usually revolve around his favorite video games and horror movies. He has little interest in physical activity and doesn’t like school.

Lionel enjoys sports but can’t play because of his mother’s work schedule and a lack of money. He is fascinated with Anime characters such as Naruto and Pokémon. Not surprisingly, he is also lagging behind his peers academically. He appears sad and has become more withdrawn even from family.

What’s the Big Deal?

Todd and Lionel are not unique in their attraction to, and time spent, playing video games, and watching digital movies. They are among millions of children in the U.S. and worldwide who are impacted by the overuse of screens. In 2021 children between the ages of 8-12 (tweens) spent an average of 5 hours and 33 minutes on their screens.  Those between the ages of 13-18 (teens) spent an average of 8 hours and 39 minutes on theirs. This statistic does not include school time use. The majority of their recreational ST is spent watching online videos, playing video games, and using social media. Boys spend an hour a day more than girls on daily ST. They play more video games than girls who use social media more. Both genders spend about equal time watching videos, especially on YouTube.

Children today certainly have a different lifestyle than those who grew up pre-video/internet era. Everything from food to entertainment these days is ready-made, and gratification is instantaneous. Kids are easily bored because the high pace and repetitive nature of video games create overstimulation, which are designed to be addictive. Screen-free, imaginative, physical play is foreign to them.

Children’s social interactions are limited at best, and they are not making real connections with real people. More youth are hanging out virtually through texting, video chats, gaming, or watching movies together. This equates to not learning communication or social skills, or developing emotional resilience. They have less ability to deal with stress, boredom, and adversity, so loneliness, poor self-esteem, and anxiety result.

There is a well-documented link between excessive screen time and depression. Why? Firstly, physical activity, which is essential for good mental and physical health, has been substantially reduced by excessive ST. The CDC recommends that children 6-17 years be physically active for at least 60 minutes every day. Fewer children walk to and from school, and recess has been reduced in thousands of elementary schools, so unless a child regularly engages in team sports or dance, or can play with other neighborhood children, they become sedentary, reliant on screens to entertain them.

Depression is the leading cause of disability and poor health among children and teens. Overuse of ST rose during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2021) as did incidences of depression and anxiety. This statistic has not changed much since then. Depressive tendencies often carry over into adulthood and affect the quality of life and ability to thrive.

Secondly, excessive ST interferes with proper sleep, and the combination of insufficient physical activity and poor sleep hygiene is linked to depression. This often leads to poor academicperformance. This is particularly problematic during adolescence because when teens aren’t engaged in school, don’t do well, or feel overwhelmed by the workload, anxiety increases, and self-esteem diminishes. The worse they feel, the more they turn to ST, intensifying their depressive symptoms. It’s a villainous cycle.

Children can suffer cognitive and emotional impairment with early and/or excessive ST. They are not learning problem-solving skills, emotional regulation, and critical thinking, which are essential academic and life skills. These kids stand a higher chance of school burnout, leading to higher dropout rates. Low educational achievement reduces employment opportunities, leading to eventual poverty.

Technology is essential in this day and age. There are a multitude of advantages, including the convenience of communication and educational experiences that encourage attentional abilities, improve memory, and allow access to unique learning opportunities. The educational use of ST is not the primary issue here; it’s the recreational overuse of it that is harmful.

It Takes a H.E.R.O.

H: 2 Hours

Todd and Lionel, and the millions of other children in this world need their parents and caregivers to step up to be their protectors, their heroes. The first thing that needs to be done is to monitor how much time children are spending on their screens. The recommendation for recreational ST is between one and two hours daily.

E: Educate

Being educated about how to use ST to the best advantage of children will prevent a myriad of potential ills. RAISE is a free app that helps families reclaim their role as protectors of their children. Be informed about the content of what children are watching, playing, and browsing. Know how to use filters and other parental controls and talk to children about “why” they are necessary.

R: Relationships

The best replacement for screens is parental relationships. Spending more quality screen-free time with children, talking, and playing with them, will improve the relationships within families and communities. Be patient; this is a process that will take some time for them to get used to.

O: Observe

Hypocrisy is a powerful villain. Observe your own behavior. Set the example you want children to follow. Pay attention to changes in children’s moods, their interests, and who they are spending time with, and act when needed. Be the hero they need.

Shellie Ehlert is a senior at Brigham Young University-Idaho in the Department of Home & Family Studies.  She is passionate about strengthening families through education. She believes in Maya Angelou’s adage that we do our best until we know better, and when we know better, we do better. Shellie’s greatest accomplishment has been her education, and her greatest joy is her husband, Jack, and their large, blended family of 9 children and 13 grandchildren. She enjoys running, studying foreign languages, and indulging in her monthly McDouble from McDonald’s.

The Impact of Bullying on Mental Health

by | Jul 22, 2023 | Guest Posts

My world shattered when I was 17 years old. I was a junior in high school and a member of my school’s drama presidency. I never imagined how cruel my friends of over six years could be. One of my friends began spreading rumors and ‘accidentally’ shoving me into lockers or tripping me. I sought help from my other friends, but none of them believed me. I thought things were improving when she seemed to back off. However, after the end-of-the-year drama banquet, I showed up to school and not a single one of my friends would acknowledge my existence.

I spent weeks being whispered about and ignored by my friends. Eventually, they sent texts telling me I was worthless and better off dead. I began experiencing at least three panic attacks per day. I would hide in the drama dressing rooms with the lights off and cry. I went to the drama teacher, but he chose to believe the group of people I used to call friends over me. I spent that summer as a shell of who I used to be. If it wasn’t for my loving and supportive family, I’m not sure where I would be today.

Unfortunately, there are millions of other stories like mine, and not all of them are lucky enough to have a family like mine. It has been reported in the United States that 1 in 5 students are bullied per school year. Bullying can include being the subject of name-calling, insults, rumors, physical aggression, or being purposely excluded from group activities. Students who are perceived as different are at a higher risk of being bullied. We often refer to these students as minority students. This applies to students of the LGBTQ community, religious minorities, racial minorities, and students with disabilities.

Regardless of a student’s demographics, bullying causes detrimental effects on a student’s mental health. Victims of bullying have a higher chance of experiencing depression, suicidal tendencies, anxiety, and low self-esteem. When a student’s self-esteem is damaged, they are more likely to experience a decrease in self-confidence and an increase in self-criticism. The bullies themselves also experience adverse effects which increase their likelihood to abuse alcohol, drugs, future partners, or future children. Bullying is harmful to everyone involved.

Students used to be able to come home from school and escape the torment of their bullies. However, by the age of 12, 71% of children have a phone and 56% of children have their own social media accounts. This creates the gateway for cyberbullying. Students with access to social media no longer have a safe place to hide from their bullies. A survey showed that 15.7% of high school students were victims of cyberbullying within the past year before taking the survey. Cyberbullying involves being bullied via technology and experiencing name-calling, spreading rumors, physical threats, stalking, receiving unwanted explicit images, and having personal explicit images shared without their consent.

During the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, students’ social media addictions increased. The more time they spend on social media, the more likely they are to become a victim of cyberbullying. These students aren’t just statistics. These students are your children, your grandchildren, your nieces and nephews, and your siblings. The children in your life are just one filter away from enjoying TikTok and memes to experiencing online harassment or extortion. Your children can experience lifelong damage as victims of bullying that affects their ability to trust in any future friendships or intimate relationships. So, what can you do to help ensure your children are safe from bullying at home and at school?

I strongly encourage parents to promote honesty in their homes, teach internet safety, help build self-confidence, establish boundaries, and keep computers and other electronic devices in an easily monitored location. There is a lot of disagreement on whether smartphones should be allowed in a child’s room at night. I don’t believe there is a universal answer since each child is unique. It is important to have these discussions with your child so they feel they have a voice and that their opinion matters. Treating them with respect will help build their self-confidence.

Some things schools can do to help prevent bullying are to teach students empathy, create opportunities for students to connect, and watch for concerning behaviors. Teachers are essential in helping to prevent bullying in school. While the number of students to teachers is highly disproportionate, teachers need to be watchful for signs of bullying. Members of the school board can create rules to better protect children, and create bullying protocols. For these rules and protocols to be effective, they must be strictly enforced.

The most important people to help prevent bullying are other students because they are the ones on the front lines. Students, watch for ways you can help someone in need. It can be difficult to stand up for a victim because you feel you could be next, but I plead with you to take a stand. If one student stands up for another, more are likely to join in. I know it would have meant the world to me if someone had stood up for me.

 Kaitlyn Wangsgard is a graduate of the Marriage and Family Studies Department at Brigham Young University-Idaho. Her current area of focus is Marriage and Family Studies. She enjoys reading, the performing arts, strategic games, and spending time with her family.

Scrolling Our Way to Addiction

by | Jul 18, 2017 | Marriage, Parenting

technology addiction

We’ve all heard the jokes about how short a child’s attention span can be, but is an adult’s really that much better?

Have you ever thought about how many times per day you use your phone? On average, that number is somewhere around 2,617 times a day.

I can’t even tell you how often I have reached for my phone while doing homework, or looked up from my beloved screen to notice that everyone around me is also staring at theirs. When was the last time you went out to dinner with a group of friends and no one touched their phone? Or the last time you played a game with your kids without also mindlessly scrolling through Facebook?

It’s like we think we deserve a break from life, or a reward for our 5 minutes of effort. But the question we really need to ask ourselves is, are we rewarding ourselves because we think we deserve it, or because we literally can’t help it?

Technology Addiction: Is That Even a Thing?

You bet it is. Addiction was once only considered relative to substances, but now it includes things like internet and smart phone usage, too. In a survey of 200 college students at Stanford University, 10% reported being fully addicted to their phone, and 34% considered themselves almost addicted.

In the same survey, 75% reported that they slept next to their phone, and 69% felt that they would forget their wallet before their phone. Almost half said they would consider losing their phone to be a “tragedy.”

If we take a look into the homes of Americans, we will see that 90% of households have at least one smartphone, desktop/laptop, tablet, or other media-streaming device. While this may not come as a surprise, nearly 20% of households have at least 10 of those devices. In some cases, that means there are probably more devices than people. Let that sink in for a moment…

What Technology Addiction Looks Like in Romantic Relationships

Dating in today’s world is a little different than it was 20 years ago. Sadly, too many of us have had those awkward conversations where we had to repeat ourselves because our date was distracted by his or her phone. It often feels like we can’t even carry on a regular conversation.

If you can relate to this, you’re not alone. There’s even a term to describe it! “Phubbing” is when a person ignores or snubs someone in a social setting by paying more attention to their smart phone than the person they’re with.

Unfortunately, this kind of behavior has become the norm. When we walk into a restaurant, it’s not uncommon to see couples physically sitting together but mentally existing in completely different worlds. We seem to be losing the very human connection that makes our relationships meaningful.

What It Looks Like in Families

In a poll of 1,240 U.S. parents and children, about 60% of kids ages 12-18 reported that they could not give up their smartphones, and 1/3 of parents reported that they argue about screen time with their children on a daily basis.

Spending 6-9 hours per day using digital media, kids and adolescents feel pressure to stay connected, incessantly check for notifications, and respond quickly to texts for fear of missing out (FOMO).

What kind of effect does all this screen time have on families? Sadly, not a positive one. Family relationships are weakening. Teens are isolating themselves even more than they were in the past. Children and parents alike need instant gratification and are becoming more concerned with self than with family.

Speaking of parents, if mom and dad are constantly on their devices, why shouldn’t their kids follow suit? The old saying “Do as I say, and not as I do” isn’t nearly as effective as we sometimes wish it was. We have to be careful and think about the example we’re setting for our little ones.

What It Looks Like in Society

At this point you might be thinking, “Yeah, yeah I get it. Technology addiction is bad for me. But is it really affecting society?”

Actually… yes. Addiction to smart phones and other devices are causing us to have shortened attention spans. Kids are having a harder time focusing in school, and adults are experiencing the same problem at work.

A more obvious issue is texting and driving. In a survey given in 2012, 75% of teenagers said that they text and drive, and 56% of parents also admitted that they check their phone while driving.

Lastly, we cannot ignore the effect that technology addiction has on mental health. Those who struggle with a technology addiction experience a high increase in anxiety and depression symptoms. Naturally, this affects their educational, professional, and family life.

What can we do?

Before you get too worried that I’m going to ask you to burn all of your smart phones and other devices, I want to be clear: I’m not saying technology is inherently evil. Technology is amazing and can serve many useful and wonderful purposes. The important thing to be aware of here is the danger of addiction that comes from using it too much.

So knowing what you now know, here are 3 simple things you can do to make a change:

  1. When you go on a date with your loved one, turn your phones off. You won’t believe how much more connected you will feel even after just one uninterrupted hour together.
  2. Set a limit on screen time for your kids AND yourself. Find more quality activities for your children instead, and be a good role model by abiding by the same rules as much as possible.
  3. Leave your phone at home and go for a walk or a jog. Regular exercise is not only great for mental and physical health, but it helps with concentration, as well.

Technology addiction is real and very much alive in the U.S. today. If we can pay attention long enough, we might just be able to improve relationships, strengthen families, and better society as a whole without ever touching a smart phone.

 

Paige Gibbs is a student at Brigham Young University – Idaho studying Marriage and Family Studies with a Professional General Emphasis. She is from Soda Springs, Idaho and is the youngest of 5 daughters. Paige and her husband, Bracken, are high school sweethearts and have been married for almost 3 years. She is passionate about protecting marriage and the family and also loves sports, outdoor recreation, and trying out new recipes. 

Put a Pause on Technology — for the Sake of Your Marriage!

by | Sep 30, 2015 | Marriage

Family-Good things to come-44

While unhappy marriages may be unhappy for a variety of reasons, happy marriages have at least one trait in common. Simply put, in successful marriages both the husband and the wife prioritize their marriage. With never ending to-do lists and distracting technology, happy couples constantly look for ways to spend time together and nourish their marriage. These couples have learned to sift through distraction and focus on what matters most.

But this can be so challenging!

One challenge for preserving this couple time is our expanding work hours. Renowned marriage researcher Dr. John Gottman noted that contemporary couples are spending an average of 1000 more hours each year working as compared to couples just a few decades ago.

Part of this increase is due to substantially more dual-income couples than there were in previous generations. For instance, from 1950 to 2000, there was over a 250% increase in the percentage of women working. And, some of these extra hours are simply the result of increased work hours in general.

Technology: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Technology can be another large obstacle in our quest to prioritize sufficient time to nourish our marriage. Consider the following:

  • One study found that adults watch an average of 2 hours and 48 minutes of TV per day.
  • Another recent report suggested that people are spending an average of an additional 2 hours and 57 minutes on their smartphones or tablet each day.
  • As of January of this year, it was reported that we spend an average of 1.72 hours per day with social media.
  • A few years ago a TED speaker noted that, worldwide, we spend 3 billion hours a week playing video games.

To be clear, technology in and of itself isn’t inherently good or bad. Within all those hours mentioned above, there is undoubtedly a substantial amount of valuable time spent with media. However, far too many individuals squander precious time that could be used to strengthen their relationship with their spouse (and children) by spending inordinate amounts of time with technology and other forms of entertainment.

For those couples who truly want to have a happy marriage, they simply cannot afford to spend their best energy pursuing selfish activities. Plainly speaking, a never ending pursuit of entertainment and amusement can derail any marriage.

A Little Introspection

Do we see marriage for what it is? Do we recognize this relationship as the most important relationship we can ever form on Earth? Does our use of time reflect how much we treasure this relationship?

Do we truly demonstrate that we treasure our spouse by willingly turning off the TV when our spouse wants to talk? Do we prioritize our spouse’s needs more than our own interests and pursuits? And do we readily forego entertainment in order to help our spouse with housework?

If you feel like you have some room for improvement, don’t worry — so do I! If entertainment, media, and/or technology has prevented you from being the type of spouse you want to be, resolve now to be better!

Our spouse deserves a man (or woman) who will intentionally limit or avoid ever-present time wasters that could otherwise prevent us from maximizing the happiness within our marriage. Let’s resolve now to be such a man or woman!

 

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