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| Source: pixahive |
Teenagers and their problematic lifestyle have been discussed over the years by experts. The latest issue and the most dangerous one is the one parents struggling to deal with.
During the pandemic, the time we spend online has increased, and the restrictions on the usage of gadgets for teens have gone out of the window. The academic activities have shifted to online and the screen time of teenagers have gone off the chart. Parents are unable to differentiate the time their kids spend online for studying vs entertainment.
What do the researchers say?
Deepika Bahl, Shalini Bassi and Monika Arora working with the Public Health Foundation of India did a survey as part of the project, Evaluating the implementation of the Peer Educator Intervention for improving adolescent health in India’s National Adolescent Health Programme which was supported by the Medical Research Council.
As per the survey conducted with parents (with children between 5-15 years) in New Delhi, 54% said their child spends an average of 5 hours on a screen every day. aBOUT 84% of parents are worried about the increased screen time. In another study conducted in both rural and urban areas on 13-25-year-olds found that their screen time has increased from 3.5 to 5.12 hours.
As the screen time increased the physical activities of teenagers are decreased resulting in poor mental and physical health. Teenagers are now losing muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness, gaining weight, having psychological problems, ophthalmic issues and poor academics.
How the Pandemic Increased Social Media Addiction
The lockdown led everyone to depend on their smartphone or other gadgets. Office work now shifted to home and school assignments are now done on computers and tablets.
A recent report from Children’s Hospital of Chicago says that teens are now obsessed with social media and it a very concerning change as it can have a long-lasting effect on children.
The pandemic has increased the obsession with social media among all age group. The report, Parenting Teens in the Age of Social Media by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago revealed that around 3,000 parents surveyed, 63 per cent of teenagers are using social media more than they did before the pandemic.
Around 58% of respondents (parents) said social media has affected their children negatively. 68% of parents believe that social media affected their child’s ability to socialize and 56% believe their child has an unhealthy desire for attention and approval through social media.
The report stated social media’s effect into two categories:
Social media takes children away from sleep, physical activity, attention, socializing, brain development.
An unhealthy need for approval or attention, being sexualized at an early age, no personal privacy, oversharing, sexual predators, inability to focus, online bullying.
The social media platforms which the parents are concerned about.
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Tumblr
How parents can help teenagers to use the internet responsibly?
Explaining the dos and don’t while using the internet
Discussing the appropriate use of the internet with children.
Explaining the harmful effects of prolonged on-screen time.
Things one can share and things one shouldn’t share with online contacts.
Whom to approach if they experience cyberbullying.
Monitoring the usage and communicating with their kids
Managing privacy and safety options online.
Restricting the net onscreen time of teens.
Teaching them to make critical reasoning to take proper decisions.
Helping to build the capacity to be autonomous and strong will to control their desires.
Parents should have a deep conversation with their teenage kids that they can’t completely avoid the internet, hence they have to learn to use it responsibly and not be controlled by social media.
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