Up to 95 percent of teens reported using at least one social media platform. The weight of evidence that early use of smartphones and tablets and their effects on social and neurological development is a public health concern that continues to build.

In this episode, I discuss...

• 00:00:00
  Are teenagers addicted to devices?
• 00:00:20
  Why screen time in childhood affects the adult brain
• 00:00:30
  Delayed development of the social self
• 00:01:04
  Effects on toddlers
• 00:01:28
  Worse sleep and less physical activity
• 00:01:47
  Can we find balance?
• 00:02:14
  My recommendations and conclusions
• 00:02:39
  Avoiding the dopamine trap
• 00:03:09
  The need for open dialogue and awareness

Early device use delays the development of the "social self," suggests research

"Delaying the age at which children first receive a portable electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet can have a substantial impact on their adult mental health." Click To Tweet

New research from The Global Mind Project indicates that delaying the age at which children first receive a portable electronic device such as a smartphone or tablet can have a substantial impact on their adult mental health. Notably, this delay significantly improved their social self – a composite measure that takes into account factors like self-confidence and positive interaction abilities.

On the flip side, providing a child with a smartphone or tablet at a younger age was correlated with heightened instances of suicidal ideation, aggression, and feelings of detachment from reality. What’s particularly intriguing is that these trends were more prominent in females and remained consistent across various geographical regions.

Drawing from additional research, we know that excessive use of smartphones and engagement in social media can have detrimental effects on kids and teenagers. Young children aged two to five with an excess of screen time – defined as more than an hour per day – was significantly associated with lower percentile ranks in cognition, language, and social–emotional skills.

Less physical activity, greater sleep disturbances

Increased screen time can lead to sleep disturbances, decreased physical activity, and issues with social development. Sleep and exercise are cornerstones for developing brains – they are essential for cognitive growth and well-being.

The conclusion from this new study is in some ways, sobering, if utterly unsurprising. I am personally enormously enriched by tech, but striking a balance and making sure it isn't at the expense of my mental health has been something that, even as an adult, is something that requires continual reinforcement and restraint. That's even with an adult's experience and more developed capacity for executive function, a cognitive capacity that doesn't reach maturity until the early 20s.

Back to the big picture

So here's my take home -

I think that armed with these facts, many of us should at least be asking the questions about when, how much, and where tablets and smartphone devices fit in, especially for children.

Ultimately, we all have to weigh the merits and the trade-offs of portable devices for ourselves and our children individually, but it might mean holding out on the tablet until they're a little older, setting rules around it, and certainly demonstrating our own self-discipline in their use.

On a positive note, there's an increasing acknowledgment of the addictive nature of these devices and potential downsides to their usage. This realization opens up a whole spectrum of viable options. For instance, opting for a retro-style flip phone could be a thoughtful choice for your child's first phone, if they haven't got one already.

Regardless of whether you specifically resonate with these suggestions, what's crucial is sparking this dialogue. As our social awareness heightens and consensus strengthens, we might ease the collective peer pressure pushing for every kid to possess an iPhone at the earliest opportunity.

Studies and resources:

• Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022
• Age of First Smartphone/Tablet and Mental Wellbeing Outcomes in Adulthood
• Associations of media use and early childhood development: cross-sectional findings from the LIFE Child study
• Effects of screentime on the health and well-being of children and adolescents: a systematic review of reviews