At an event on Thursday, a panel of representatives from Meta and health experts highlighted strategies for parents to support their teens in the digital age.
Parents of children ranging from toddlers to teenagers came together, united by a shared purpose: their concern for the safety and well-being of their kids in an increasingly digital world.
“We are really interested in talking as part of what we do to make sure that teens are having safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences on our platform, and, frankly, on the internet at large,” said Ravi Sinha, Meta’s Head of Child Safety Policy.
New technologies have created children’s heavy dependency on screen time, causing parents to worry about what their children are consuming and how they can limit or prevent them from unwanted content, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The use of screens in children’s lives can lead to both beneficial and detrimental effects on their development.
On the positive side, screens can enhance educational and learning experiences. However, research from the National Institutes of Health indicates that excessive screen time and media multitasking can harm executive functioning, sensorimotor skills and academic results.
Early exposure to screens has been linked to reduced cognitive abilities and poorer academic performance in subsequent years. Additionally, screen time can impact language development through interactions between children and their caregivers.
Meta hosted the event to help parents plan a positive online environment for children and address online problems their children face every day. The event is one of several the company is hosting across the country.
“There’s a dialogue that needs to be had between parents and teens about this,” Sinha said. Meta wants to “make sure that these conversations are informed by research, that they’re expert informed.”
What do experts say?
Jamie Freeny, director of the Center for School Chamber Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston, discussed at the event the impact of increased screen time on children’s mental health.
“Screen time can impact teens’ mental health because teens’ brains are still developing, and so without some of the regulatory skills that adults have, teens can kind of be drawn into things that are unhealthy,” Freeny said. “They can be drawn into groups or even be engaging in conversations with adults, and they have no idea who’s on the other end.”
Freeney emphasized the importance of early conversations between parents and teens about screen time and the need to monitor signs of distress, such as changes in sleep patterns, social withdrawal and increased agitation.
“Two components of red flags are duration and intensity,” she said. These components can indicate a problematic online interaction pattern, potentially affecting a teen’s daily life and academic performance.
“How frequent or how long this has been going on, and then the intensity? Is it starting to impede their everyday life? Is it taking away from time when they’re studying or time when they’re supposed to be sleeping or spending time with families?” she said.
What tips I can follow as a parent?
Parents at the event shared tips with each other about steps they’re already taking with their children when it comes to screen time. The tips they shared with The Dallas Morning News that have worked for them include:
- Limit screen time to an hour or two a day.
- Break into segments the usage of screen time.
- Handle transitions between activities and screen time carefully to avoid tantrums.
- Suggest outdoor activities.
Meta also gave parents advice from itseducation lab about how to deal with different types of children, and how to deal with different topics that are sensitive and can be hard for parents.
- Take time to learn how your teen uses social media.
- Find a social media parenting style that works for your family.
- Explore privacy settings together.
- Discuss when to report content and when to unfollow or block users.
- Set up supervision on Instagram.
- Build trust with openness.
- Set and enforce boundaries.
- Set a good example.
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