Is Technology Harming Our Teens?
Teenagers today are growing up in a world where technology is deeply embedded in their daily lives. According to a recent Ofcom report, by the age of 12, 97% of children already have their own mobile phone and by the age of 15, teens are spending an average of 7.5 hours per day looking at screens. New Government guidance announced this week backs headteachers in prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day due to classroom disruption and an increase in online bullying.
“Growing up in today’s digital world provides immense opportunities but this should not come at the expense of our children’s wellbeing or education.”
In a world where technology is ever-present, parents, guardians and educators are often caught in the dilemma of how and when to regulate and monitor screen time without preventing access to the many positive aspects of technology. Last night, we were joined by the brilliant Graham Lowe, Lead Consultant and online safety subject-specialist for South West Grid for Learning, to talk about how technology might be impacting the wellbeing of teens and what parents, carers and schools can do to better understand and respond to the challenges.
“This isn’t actually about the technology, this is about the behaviour around the technology.”
From social media apps to online games, Graham explained that technology is cleverly designed to encourage as much engagement as possible. Design techniques such as auto-play and infinite scroll can easily lead to excessive screen time, which can be a huge concern for parents. However, Graham emphasised the importance of understanding what teenagers are consuming online and what impact that content might be having on mental wellbeing and life outside of their devices.
Graham’s tips for tackling technology concerns:
Maintain open communication - Encourage discussions about technology use with teens and listen to their experiences and opinions. This can help them understand the "why" behind your concerns and guidelines.
Set boundaries - These agreements can include no-screen times, such as during family meals or before bed, and can evolve as your teen grows older and demonstrates responsible behaviour. It’s important to set good examples with your own screen time too.
Make use of parental control - For younger teens or when concerns arise, parental controls can be a temporary measure to ensure safety. Tools like Google Family Link, Microsoft Family Safety, and iOS Screen Time can help manage screen time and content access.
Report harmful content - If you see content that shouldn’t be online, report it to the relevant platform and stress that it breaches their terms and conditions to ensure it’s taken down. You never know how many other young people you’ll be preventing from seeing something harmful too.
To watch the full session and access the helpful resources Graham shared, log in to the hub or register HERE.
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We’ll be back next week for a Q&A with our resident Clinical Psychologist, Dr Sarah-Jane Knight, who will be ready to answer your questions and offer guidance about your teen and their mental health.