Did you know, about 75% of teens own a smartphone, and a similar number use at least one social media site regularly? Probably not a surprise to many of you. Even so, we're still just beginning to discover all of the risk and benefits associated with smartphone, and social media use, and the impact it has on our everyday health.
The American Academy of Pediatrics identified smartphones and media use as an important issue affecting children’s health, and released a statement with media use guidelines last November. Some recommendations:
-Create a family media use plan. This is one of the more important recommendations, since it is a tool that parents can use to start the conversation about limits and expectations for media use in your family
-Don’t use your smartphone before bed, during family meals, or during homework, and don’t sleep with your phone!
-Have regular conversations about online citizenship and online safety.
Many parents and teens may have seen the article in last month’s Atlantic about teens and smartphone use. While the article’s title seems to sound an alarm, (here’s one parent’s response), it’s useful as a jumping off point for conversations with your teen. The article discusses some research about how smartphone and social media use have been associated with increasing rates of depression and feelings of loneliness.
In addition to health concerns, take a look at this recent New York Times article about how technology has affected teenage romance.
Internet use, screen time, and social media activity all impact our children's health (and parent's health too!) - talk to us about it next time you're in for your physical (Or, put your smartphone to good use and get signed up for our patient portal!)
