Will giving up cell phones solve the mental health crisis among children?
As summer vacation draws to a close and school season finally begins again (note the sigh of relief from parents), mobile phone use by young children is back in the news. Teachers, parents and even mobile phone companies have chimed in to warn about the effects of screen time, especially on young children. They are also proposing solutions to mitigate the impact of phones on children’s academic and social lives.
Britain’s largest mobile operator EE said this week that parents should not give their children under 11 smartphones. Parents, educators and health workers are increasingly concerned about the potential harm smartphones are causing to society as a whole and to younger children in particular. Studies over the past decade have consistently shown that children are more likely to have mental health problems, have shorter attention spans, attend school less and perform worse academically. The reasons for this are often attributed to increased screen time. Some even claim that smartphones have rewired children’s brains, leading to an increasingly “anxious generation” addicted to mobile phones – a disease that is resistant to all treatments.
While EE is to be commended for its warning, many believe it has done too little, too late. I am convinced that anything short of a holistic approach to reforming our digital landscape – involving phone companies, internet providers, social media moderators and government regulation, and allowing for accountability alongside parental and educational efforts – will result in society reaping what it has sown over the past decade.
In the UK, a recent study by communications regulator Ofcom found that a staggering quarter of British children aged between 5 and 7 now own a smartphone. I believe the problem is really getting out of control and the welfare of children worldwide, not just in the UK, is at stake.
Parents around the world have long resisted giving their children a smartphone when they move from primary to secondary school at age 11. Some argue that this is justified due to peer pressure or safety concerns. But parents are also increasingly realising that owning a phone potentially exposes children to online predators, bullying, social pressure and harmful content, even with parental controls for children under 16 and restrictions on social media use for those under 13.
No one can deny that technology and connectivity have changed our lives, and in many ways for the better. But that price has risen, especially but not only, on the most vulnerable in society, the young and impressionable.
Many are convinced that there is a concrete connection between time spent on social media and mental health problems among teenagers.
Mohamed Chebaro
According to Ofcom, around 97 percent of children in the UK aged 12 own a mobile phone, while 46 percent of American teenagers say they are online “almost constantly.” Since smartphones have become commonplace in every home, we have seen an increase in suicide, self-harm and anxiety diagnoses among teenagers. Many believe there is a concrete link between the amount of time spent browsing social media and the likelihood of teenagers suffering from mental health problems.
Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, wrote in The Anxious Generation that there is a compelling argument that the rise in time spent online coincides with an alarming mental health crisis around the world. His book explains that technological advancement and the development of “addictive content” have displaced in-person physical play and socializing, meaning such companies have “rewired” childhood and altered human development to a degree that has shocked parents and educators alike.
As the new school year begins, teachers everywhere are looking for ways to engage students and reduce their addiction to mobile phones. They are changing some of their lessons, encouraging physical activity and outdoor learning, and using all sorts of tricks to lure children away from their screens. Some educators and government officials are advocating for banning devices from classrooms, while others say education, awareness and persuasion are the best ways to curb this addiction of modern children.
Stories from classrooms everywhere describe a breakdown of authority, trust and obedience among children, and the inability of teachers to get students out of their digital bubble during lessons. In the past, school was a place to learn, make friends and develop social skills. Today, despite teachers’ best efforts, classrooms are becoming places where students ages 11-18 prefer to follow their social media feeds. Classes are quieter as students remain silent for fear of being recorded and ridiculed by their classmates or online. Some even prefer to message their classmates rather than speak to them, despite being in the same room.
This pattern of behaviour will be difficult to change as young people show signs of physically withdrawing from their peers, family and social activities as a whole. One wonders whether it is enough for parents to act as one and ban their children from using their mobile phones during school hours. Governments need to regulate more and work with technology companies to remove harmful content and enforce stricter age-appropriate access to social media platforms.
This school year is likely to be no different, as students continue to view phones as fascinating and addictive. It’s no wonder many of Generation Z and their successors are in crisis. But parents, teachers, technology companies and the government still have time to reverse this damaging pattern if they work together and put the health and well-being of children and society above all other considerations.
- Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with over 25 years’ experience covering war, terrorism, defence, current affairs and diplomacy. He is also a media consultant and trainer.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this section are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Arab News.
