Help needed for tech-addicted children

This year we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of the world’s largest social media platform.

Begun in 2004, Facebook now boasts 3.05 billion users and its owner is worth $171.1 billion. The introduction of smartphones, which placed mini computers in everyone’s hands, sent technology and social media usage into major overdrive.

Recently, four major Ontario school boards have decided to take some of these social media giants to court. They allege that how the products are designed has negatively rewired the way children think, behave and learn. The chair of the Toronto District School Board stated: “These social media companies have knowingly created a product that is addictive and marketed to children.”

There is currently a mental health crisis and our children are the unwitting participants.

DISTURBING STATS

So, what changed in such a short period of time? Are children really addicted to technology and social media? From intense studies, it appears that young people are indeed suffering tech addiction and its repercussions.

Here’s a disturbing list of some things we’ve learned through studies and surveys:

■ One survey of grades 8 and 10 students found the average time spent on social media is 3.5 hours a day, and almost 15 per cent of participants spent more than seven hours a day on their devices.

■ Nearly 50 per cent of teens aged 13-17 said using social media makes them feel worse.

■ Since 2019, the number of preteen boys who shared nude images online doubled, while the number tripled for teenage boys.

■ Online predators can bond with your child in eight minutes.

■ Spending more than three hours a day on social media doubles the risk of poor mental health outcomes for teens.

■ Almost 60 per cent of teenage girls say they’ve been contacted by a stranger on social media platforms in ways that make them feel uncomfortable.

■ Every two minutes, a child is being prepared for sexual exploitation.

■ The average age of recruitment into sex trafficking in Canada is 13 years.

■ Since 2010, teen suicide amongst girls has increased 64 per cent; depression amongst teens almost 150 per cent.

Facebook’s (now Meta) own study revealed that social media makes body image issues worse for one in three teenage girls.

This fact was revealed and reiterated by Meta whistleblower, Frances Haugen. She became increasingly concerned about the coverup of negative statistics by the company’s leadership and in 2021, released tens of thousands of documents to the Wall Street Journal. Meta’s founder denied there was any causal link between social media and mental health.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

Jean Twenge, author of igen and Generations, considered an expert in the field, said Mark Zuckerberg is wrong — there is definitely a causal link. Twenge says from 2011-19, teen depression more than doubled. She attributes this to heightened anxiety and loneliness.

Further, she wrote there were three significant events since 2011 when the negative trend began: social media was more commonly used; front-facing cameras became a thing; and Facebook purchased Instagram. Twenge contends these significant events have negatively exacerbated the relationship young people have with technology.

We are seeing dramatically increasing suicide rates linked to rising use of social media. The suicide rates in one North American demographic, children aged 10-14, have tripled.

According to Cybertips.ca, from 2021-22, there was a 55 per cent increase in online luring, and in that same time frame (actually six months), a whopping 150 per cent increase in sextortion.

And we haven’t even mentioned cyberbullying.

OVEREXPOSURE

According to new data from the Pew Research Center, nearly half of parents even admit they spend too much time on their smartphones.

Sadly, as parents, we are modelling social media behaviours to our children about what’s seemingly important: the time we’re spending on a device and the attention we receive from it.

Approximately 30 per cent of parents say they are often or sometimes distracted by their phones when conversing with their teens, however 46 per cent of those children saindtdheir

parents were distracted during conversations.

Social media platforms are designed to be addictive and they reward users for their engagement. Many studies have now shown direct links between the amount of screen time for children and disrupted sleep, low self-esteem, poor body image, eating disorders, attention and memory deficits, depression and anxiety (as previously mentioned).

We are hardwired to connect with other people and there is no replacement for that in-person connection.

One professor noted that his university’s cafeteria used to be a place where you couldn’t hear yourself think as there was so much talking. Now it’s like a ghost town; full of people but without conversation. There is little doubt that our young people are being harmed and loneliness is now commonplace.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Having such open access to technology without parameters is a recipe for disaster. With no standards, guidelines, or guardrails when it comes to social media, we must begin to hold these platforms accountable.

While an online harms bill (C-63) was introduced by our federal government earlier this year, it can take years for such legislation to pass. This is far from reasonable given the current epidemic in mental health.

It appears as though children are growing up without a childhood; can we give them back some of it?

Talking openly with our children not only increases their knowledge about the issue but also heightens their willingness to reach out should they have a negative experience online or otherwise.

As we guide our children through the digital age, we must also remember to lead by example. By reducing our own time on social media, we can show them the value of real-world connections, meaningful conversations, quality time and living in the present moment.

Let’s hope it’s not too late.