Updated – Originally published August 16th, 2022
Having a hard time limiting your kid’s screen time? You’re not alone. A new report from Pew Research Center finds that, while most parents try to manage their kid’s screen time, 42% said “they could do better.”
But it’s not just parents who are aware of excessive screen time—and its impact. In a report from earlier this year, Pew found that about half of teens said that social media has “mostly negative effect on people their age.”
Keep reading to learn more insights from Pew’s report—and what experts recommend you should do about it.
Most teens spend too much time on social media—and it’s impacting their friendships
According to Pew Research Center:
- 45% of teens said they spend too much time on social media.
- Girls tend to have a more negative experience on social media, with 25% saying that it negatively impacts their own mental health—in comparison to 14% of boys.
- 75% of teens said that social media lets them connect with friends, while 63% said it lets them explore and share their creativity.
Despite the fact that social media can have a seemingly positive impact on teens, the amount of teens who say social media has a “mostly negative effect on people their age” has increased by 16% since 2022.
Additionally, 45% of teens say that “social media platforms hurt the amount of sleep they get” and 40% say that it negatively impacts their productivity.
But, according to Pew, “Friendships are the only aspect of teen life that we asked about in which more teens say social media help rather than harm these relationships.”
The bottom line? While social media can have some positive benefits—friendship and creativity, specifically—the negatives outweigh the benefits.
And even the seeming benefit of connecting with your friends online actually has some downsides.
According to 2023 research from the Survey Center on American Life, “Equipping teenagers with smartphones that offer instant virtual access to their friends has reduced the incentives to spend time with friends in person.”
Researchers continued, “As a result, we find that Gen Z adults spent far less time during their teenage years simply hanging out with friends face-to-face than did any previous generation.”
So while teens might feel like social media connects them to their friends, in real life, it actually does the opposite.
How are parents managing their kids’ screentime?
When it comes to managing technology, there are no perfect answers—and it seems like parents are aware.
According to Pew Research Center, 42% of parents said they could do a better job monitoring their kid’s screen time.
So how are those parents monitoring their kid’s screen time? Here’s what Pew found:
- Nine out of ten parents say that their kids aged 12 and younger watch TV.
- 68% said their kids use a tablet.
- 61% said their kids use a smart phone.
About four in ten parents say that their child has a smart phone; according to Pew, “Roughly six in ten parents of an 11 or 12 year-old say their child has their own smartphone, compared with 29% of parents of an 8 to 10 year-old and about one-in-ten who say so about a younger kid.”
What do experts say about kids and smartphones?
Some experts recommend waiting to introduce your kids to social media—and smart phones in general.
Psychologist Jean Twenge, author of 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World, recently told CNBC that the later you introduce your child to social meda and smartphones, “the happier and more successful they’re likely to be as adults.”
Twenge recommends teaching your children how to use technology and social media responsibly at least six years before they get a smartphone.
“Ideally, it’s great to have these rules in mind by the time your kids are in late elementary school, say, to be prepared. Because kids are getting these devices younger and younger,” Twenge said.
She also recommends banning social media until your child is 16.
When you’re having those conversations with your kids in advance, Twenge wrote in her book, “Teach them that moderation is key—and then put the parental controls in place to make sure you’re not wasting your breath.”
If you want to take the guesswork out of monitoring your child’s screentime, use a Gabb Phone. You can slowly introduce your child to technology through our Tech in Steps.
How do you like to monitor your child’s screen time? Let us know in the comments.
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