The Dark Side of Smartphones

Teen mental health problems on the rise. Are phones to blame?

Teen mental health has declined dramatically since 2012, according to findings by research psychologist Jean Twenge and others.

A quick glance at the graph in the figure below (taken from Twenge and Campbell's “Media Use Is Linked to Lower Psychological Well-Being: Evidence from Three Datasets”) provides a sense of how dramatic this increase has been.

Twenge believes the increase in teen mental distress is related to yet another change in teen lifestyle that occurred during the same period of time—a surge in smartphone use.

At first glance, you might think this is simply an interesting correlation but not necessarily an argument for there being a causal link between diminished adolescent health and smartphone usage. Some experts argue that this is indeed the case. However, some research over the past few years suggests otherwise and supports the idea that in fact there is a causal connection.

On average, teens spend eight hours a day using a smartphone, tablet, or computer, with most of their attention focused on social media, which is especially true for girls. But smartphones' harmful impact is not just because teens spend a lot of time using them. It is what that technology brings into their lives that can be so disruptive.

Specifically, teens often spend much of their time making comparisons with their peers in terms of appearance, social likability, general success, and intelligence. This behavior can lead to psychological distress, especially when social media encourages teens to compare themselves to carefully curated images of peers.

The widespread consumption of social media also exposes teens to bullying and criticism throughout the day, whereas in previous generations most teens enjoyed the benefits of being able to go home after school and be free from continued negative peer interactions.

With these struggles in mind it becomes understandable that the earlier in life a youngster begins to use a smartphone, the more likely he or she is to struggle with mental health issues later on (see the figure below, taken from Sapien Labs' “Age of First Smartphone/Tablet and Mental Wellbeing Outcomes”).

How to Help Teens Be More Resilient to the Impact of Smartphones

Some simple steps parents can take to help protect their children from developing mental health problems involve three broad approaches. Parents can employ pieces from each strategy.

Approach A focuses on the smartphone:

1. Limit cell phone time (ie two hours/day). There are several apps that help parents do this (and yes, the determined youngster will find a workaround).
2. Limit what sites can be accessed via smartphone.
3. Talk with your child from an early age about how social media can distort their view of themselves and others. Give specific age-appropriate examples. This is a form of psychological inoculation that has been applied to many other aspects of mental health.
4. Do not give your child a fully functioning smartphone until a specific age—say, 14 or 15 years old Yes, you will hear complaints. But your job is not to be your child's well-liked friend, so these tantrums can be brushed aside. A cell phone that provides text and call functions will allow your son or daughter to communicate with friends (and you) without the risks that come from social media.

Approach B focuses on broadening and deepening relationships, thereby attenuating the impact of social media:

1. Insist that your child be involved in the community of his/her peers. This can involve sports, music, church groups, civic organizations, etc.
2. Be intentional about helping your child build healthy friendships (this should start in pre-school). By the time your child is 10 years old, he/she will ideally have two or more close friendships that are healthy and based on genuine mutual regard. These friendships will act as a bulwark against the negative influence that peers will direct toward your child via social media in the teenage years (yes, it is nearly inevitable).
3. Focus on creating a family culture that is close, mutually respectful, and instills a deep sense of belonging in your child (the need to belong is very strong, and must not be ignored).
4. Instill in your child a sense of purpose (there is a vast body of research showing that a sense of purpose diminishes the likelihood of becoming severely anxious or depressed).

Approach C focuses on developing interests/activities that compete for time that would otherwise be used for social media consumption:

1. Develop in your child a breadth of interests and skills that build a sense of competency. This will act as a buffer against some of the insecurities that he or she will face later in childhood. One of the easiest ways to do this is by encouraging the development of hobbies. These may include anything from collecting baseball cards, robotics, or woodworking to sewing.
2. Encourage a love of reading from an early age as this will not only compete with social media, but broaden your child's knowledge of the world, of how others think, and cultivate a greater sense of curiosity.

Conclusion

Every age has its challenges and right now one of those facing teens is the threat to mental health brought about by social media and smartphone usage. Parents who are aware of the threat and make a plan to mitigate its impact can save their children a great deal of pain.

Will your teen thank you? That's a rhetorical question—but they certainly might not! Did they thank you earlier in life when you took them to the pediatrician, and they received vaccines? When they were even younger, did they express gratitude when you told them they needed to go to sleep on time or not have one more helping of dessert?

That did not stop you from doing what you knew was in your child's best interest. Don't let your teenage son or daughter's protest stop you now. Good parenting very often involves frustrating a youngster's desires. The short-term cost of having your teen upset with you may later be rewarded with a more confident, optimistic, and healthier youngster who is ready to succeed when entering the world of adults.

And who knows, maybe somewhere in the distant future, after your teen has become a mature adult, a belated thank you will come your way after all.