Leading psychologists release 10 social media rules to combat ‘screen time epidemic’ in children
Leading psychologists have made recommendations for the first time to help parents limit their children’s use of social media.
The American Psychological Association (APA) said its unprecedented 10-rule guide would provide “instructions” so parents can “keep up with the rapidly changing social media ecosystem.”
Many experts have described the situation as a social media epidemic, with the most popular sites repeatedly ravaged for promoting self-harm and suicide. More than 40 school districts across America are suing Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok for “creating a childhood health crisis.”
The APA’s recommendations include encouraging the use of social media that build connections, limiting screen time to prevent it from interfering with sleep and exercise, and monitoring what children are doing online.
A 2022 poll found average daily screen use skyrocketed to more than 5.5 hours in kids ages 8-12 and eight hours 39 minutes for teens ages 13-18 during the pandemic
Social media time has increased over the years, with social media usage consistently high during the Covid pandemic
APA CEO Arthur Evans said, “We hope these recommendations will be helpful as we all try to keep up with the rapidly changing social media ecosystem.
“APA will continue to monitor developments within current and future platforms, with a view to protecting our youth and enabling them to benefit from the positive aspects of social media.”
The APA is the leading psychology panel in America, with more than 140,000 members.
The social media recommendations are rather vague. For example, parents are told to minimize children’s exposure to hate and appearance-based content, but the advice doesn’t say how.
It is also advised to reduce teen exposure to illegal or psychologically harmful behaviors such as self-harm, purging, or excessive exercise.
The recommendations also say that parents should assess, discuss and coach children on their social media use, and ensure they get eight hours of sleep.
The above survey, conducted in Spring 2018, found that the majority of American teens use YouTube and Instagram the most, as well as Snapchat
The advisory also suggests routine screening of adolescents for problematic social media use, including lying to gain access, strong cravings for social media use, and the loss or disruption of important relationships due to social media use.
Research shows that 90 percent of American teens aged 13-17 have used social media at some point.
Three quarters said they have at least one active social media profile and more than half said they visit a social media site every day.
Two-thirds of teenagers have their own mobile phone with internet access.
Meanwhile, the number of teenage girls who say they constantly feel sad or hopeless has increased from 36 to 57 percent in a decade from 2011 to 2021.
The percentage saying they are seriously considering attempting suicide has also risen to 30 percent, compared to 19 percent a decade earlier.
Experts have suggested that social media may be a major cause, as it encourages people to compare themselves to others, addiction and ‘FOMO’ or fear of missing out.
The guidelines are based on the latest psychological science and research on teens and social media.
Dozens of studies have been conducted on thousands of teens who reported or were monitored for participation in specific social media activities or content.
The teens underwent standardized tests of social, behavioral, psychological and/or neurological functioning.
A 2022 poll found average daily screen use skyrocketed to more than 5.5 hours in kids ages 8-12 and eight hours 39 minutes for teens ages 13-18 during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, TikTok is increasingly under scrutiny from the Biden administration over fears of oversight.
It comes after Canada and the European Union prohibited use of the app on government-issued mobile devices.
The mandates stem from fears that Beijing could force TikTok to hand over data about its international users.
TikTok is owned by Chinese internet company Byte dance and first came to the US in 2016.
It immediately became extremely popular, amassing hundreds of millions of followers and reaching a level of success never seen before by a Chinese app in the US.
But security concerns first emerged under the Trump administration against the backdrop of the tariff wars between the US and China.
The Justice Department is currently investigating allegations that the company spied on US technology journalists.
Democrats and Republicans are united in the line, with lawmakers from both sides criticizing the company’s CEO at this week’s hearing.
And Montana lawmakers passed a bill last month to ban TikTok from operating in the state.
It is more drastic than the bans in place in nearly half of the states and the US federal government that prohibit TikTok on government devices.
The US Surgeon General has one advisory last week urging people to spend more time with friends, relatives and colleagues and spend less time online and on social media.
Technology has rapidly exacerbated the loneliness problem, with a study cited in the report showing that people who used social media for two or more hours a day were more than twice as likely to report feeling socially isolated than those who used such. apps used less than 30 hours. minutes a day.
Dr. Murthy said social media in particular is driving the rise in loneliness. His report suggests tech companies are rolling out protections for children, especially around their behavior on social media.
He said, “There really is no substitute for face-to-face interaction. As we started using more and more technology for our communication, we lost a lot of that face-to-face interaction. How do we design technology that strengthens rather than weakens our relationships?’