The constant notifications, the access to social media, the tens of thousands of apps that include gaming and gambling, which are in themselves addictive, make these small-screen devices bad for our health.

Smartphones feed reward and expectation, make us anxious when we are disconnected, fuel our need for validation, increase anxiety, depression, and feelings of inadequacy.

Many never turn off their smartphones that can continue to notify them through the night contributing to sleep disruption, excessive use, reduced cognitive function and changes to brain chemistry.

In researching this topic I came across Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist and professor at Brown University. Jacqueline is a mom with two young children, who she says can lose their mind when small screens are taken away. Her kids have iPads. Yours may have a smartphone, laptop, or gaming console. In most cases, depriving kids of screens and screen time produces a common set of behaviours. Why does this happen?

Children react negatively to having their small screen time reduced. It has something to do with the reward system in their brains. Small-screen addiction is driven by dopamine. What is it, and how does it contribute to small-screen addiction?

Dopamine is a hormone and chemical neurotransmitter that stimulates nerve cells in the brain. It contributes to feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. It affects movement, learning, memory, mood, attention, and sleep. When we enjoy something, the brain releases dopamine, making us want to experience it again. Small screens provide instant rewards in the form of messages or feedback when using an app. Hence small screens contribute to dopamine release.

Overuse of small-screen devices means dopamine is being continuously released. That leads to potential problems including loss of impulse control, acts of aggression, compulsive behaviour, mania, hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, increased anxiety, and impaired decision making. Adults can, to some degree, self-regulate when experiencing these emotions, recognizing the source. This is something we learn as we mature. Children, however, do not, creating unintended behavioural consequences which parents have to address.

Jacqueline notes that certain types of screen use by children can lead to short-term deficits in executive functioning skills like memory, attention, and self-regulation. This is not a child’s strong suit and leads to unpleasant episodes after screen time ends.

There is also the content that children are exposed to on small screens. Jacqueline writes:

“Kids copy the things they see. This is true for both positive and negative behaviours. There is evidence that playing violent video games, for example, can result in children modelling aggressive behaviour, and, alternatively, that watching shows with prosocial messages can encourage positive behaviour.”

Jacqueline cites evidence that physical activity positively impacts mood, as does time spent outside. This is not, however, what happens when children stay inside, sedentary, and staring at a device where they may experience a game or video that they find difficult to process. Some online media for children is seen as overstimulating, particularly if the child has conditions such as ADHD, Autism, and Asperger’s. These medical conditions could lead to emotional meltdowns when a parent requests that screen time be over.

Jacqueline has this advice for parents dealing with the emotional hangover of child misbehaviour related to small-screen addiction. She has come up with 8 steps.

1. Experiment with different media and content. She writes, “Sensory experiences are highly individualized, everything from the colours on the screen, to their familiarity with an episode, to the soundtrack, to the device type can all make a difference. So, find what works (and doesn’t work) for your child.
2. Try different stopping times that relate to the onscreen activity. Always give the child a warning well ahead that screen time is ending after one more episode or in five minutes.
3. Talk to your child about what they feel when they turn their small screen off. Ask them why they feel this and then raise coping skills to try the next time they are frustrated that screen time is over.
4. Make screen transition time plans with your child that they can agree to, like a five-minute warning, and what screen activities should be on or off limits. Agree to revisit the plan if needed.
5. Consider post-screen activities because, after small-screen dopamine highs, homework or cleaning up toys may not be the best activities. Something physical might be a good choice, or the opposite, a low-energy activity like reading.
6. Be consistent with when screen time is over. Don’t change your mind and succumb to a negotiation or a tantrum. Jacqueline states that you can still be nice and understanding without giving in.
7. Use stopping cues to signal that screen time is over. This is easiest if a child is watching an episode in a series or has reached a logical stopping point in a game.
8. Reduce screen time using a less-is-more approach. If you are planning a road trip or vacation, the small screens don’t have to come along.

Good luck, and let me know if these steps work for you and for the health of your child.

Jacqueline studies how technology and social media impact youth and provides insights for parents on how to help their kids navigate them. She is a parent and started Techno Sapiens three years ago to share the latest research on these technologies and their impacts on parenting.

Enjoy the read.

This past week, I attended two excellent conferences: a convening on Social Media and Children’s Mental Health organized by the Hassenfeld Institute at Brown University, and the annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. I saw presentations detailing statistical models, shared my research, and participated in lengthy discussions using words like mechanisms and ideographic approaches.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Why do academics get to have all the fun?

Well, not to worry! I’ve rounded up some key insights from my time in the strange, fluorescent-lit and over-caffeinated world of academic conferences. I’m excited to share my top five takeaways from the conversation on social media, screens, and mental health.

Takeaway #1: Parents need support, not fear or guilt

No surprise to any of you: social media and youth mental health are major topics of public conversation right now. This is great! We need to talk about these things and discuss the best ways to help kids use technology effectively.

What’s not great is the fear, guilt, and shame many parents feel about this. These emotions are not helping anyone, parents or kids alike. What parents do need is support, including accurate information on the risks and benefits of technology and realistic guidance on what to do.

Takeaway #2: Let’s look outside the screens

A useful term that to add to your vocabulary is third places. For kids, this is anywhere that is not home or school (for adults, it’s anywhere that’s not home or work). In short: kids need non-digital third places. They need community centers, parks, public libraries, malls, coffee shops, bowling alleys, and gyms, anywhere they can gather safely and without too much adult intervention.

We often lament kids filling their free time with screens, but here’s the thing: we need to be providing them with alternatives. Many third places have been closing or banning teens in recent years. So, for all our focus on cutting down screen time, let’s also think about what kids can do instead.

Takeaway #3: Let’s teach kids to use technology better

A number of research reports and health advisories have come out in recent years related to issues of technology and mental health. What is one thing nearly all have in common? Recommending media literacy training for kids (i.e., teaching kids to use technology in healthier, safer ways).

This can take many forms but generally involves teaching kids how to build healthy online relationships, establish good technology habits, and spot misinformation. Many schools are already implementing this type of training, but there’s still a lot of work to be done with kids and adults as well.

Takeaway #4: The legislative landscape is quickly evolving

When it comes to kids and social media, the past year has seen in the United States legislative movements at both the state and federal levels. There is academic debate about how closely legislative proposals are following the science, and how the research can guide policy.

Most notable at the federal level: the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Action (COPPA 2.0) passed 91-3 in the U.S. Senate earlier this year, but have yet to be voted on in the House.

At the state level, the National Conference of State Legislatures says at least 30 states have pending legislation this year. Bills focus on at least five areas:

• Establishing age-appropriate design codes and new privacy rules for minors.
• Requiring age verification or parental consent to open social media accounts.
• Creating new protections for minors who are content creators.
• Limiting social media and smartphones in schools.
• Adding media literacy courses to the school curriculum.

Takeaway #5: Communicating science to the public is hard

There is a lot of discussion happening across academic fields about how best to communicate scientific findings. This is certainly true when it comes to social media and mental health.

The research on this is complicated. There are lots of mixed findings, non-findings, and findings with small effects. Lots of studies conclude that social media effects depend on who is using it, when they’re using it, and what they’re doing with it. And yet there are many things we know about the risks of social media and strategies for parents to use for their kids as well as themselves.

So what’s a good scientist to do? Gloss over the many complexities to offer a clear, but dumbed-down, message or forge deep into the weeds, communicating a tangled web of conflicting findings, and hope people can detangle these themselves? The answer is likely somewhere in the middle, but finding that middle ground is tricky.