The more relaxed summer schedule allows more time for contemplation. We at school, together with our parent technology committee, continue to mine the data from the recent parent survey on smartphones and social media. Throughout the summer, we plan to share contemporary articles and research on the four main areas of interest starting with Social Media Access. We hope people will avail themselves of the latest data and use them to reflect upon their own practices.

Based on the strong interest for more support from the school, it is our intention to offer "good practices" for our Yavneh families.

As parents, we all wonder what we can do to help our kids get a better night’s sleep– are there advantages to shutting off screens an hour before bedtime or even keeping phones outside of the bedroom? The research and linked articles show that late-night smartphone use is demonstrably linked to poorer quality sleep, which in turn leads to:

1. Worse physical health outcomes (i.e., worsened immunity, lower cardiovascular health)
2. Cognitive impairment (i.e., difficulty focusing, reduced academic achievement)
3. Poorer mental health outcomes (i.e., increased depression rates, lower self-esteem, less resilience/coping, more aggressive behaviors, impulsivity)

The National Sleep Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend eliminating screen time 1 hour before bed. Researchers recommend physical boundaries (i.e., keeping media devices outside of bedrooms), and experts agree that the earlier parents start instilling healthy habits and good sleep hygiene practices the easier it will be to implement and carry forward as children develop.

 

ARTICLES:

• Bedtime and electronics are a poor combo for teens, study finds
• Teenagers' sleep quality and mental health at risk over late-night mobile
• Cell phones and screens are keeping your kid awake
• Screen Time and Insomnia: What It Means for Teens
• Children’s sleep linked to brain development
• Children looking at screens in darkness before bedtime are at risk of poor sleep

“When is the right age to give your kids a smartphone?” Many parents have already grappled with an earlier variation of this question when considering when to give their child a tablet or portable device, While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to these questions we have gathered some valuable research and articles to help. To summarize:

1. Mental wellbeing improved with older age of smartphone ownership.
2. The younger a child is when they own a smartphone the more susceptible they are to anxiety, depression and online bullying, harming their mental health.
3. Many of today's global technology leaders of the world recognize the importance of waiting until a child is at least in their teens.
4. day's global technology leaders of the world recognize the importance of waiting until a child is at least in their teens.

A critical consensus is emerging pointing to the damage of social media on young minds. Specifically:

Social media is deeply addictive.

1. There is a clear link between social media use and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
2. Children can be easily exposed to violent and explicit content.
3. The algorithms on Instagram and TikTok are known to identify vulnerable kids and actively push harmful content pertaining to body image, eating disorders, and self-harm. Conversely, adolescents who have gone without social media for a period report feeling relieved and happier.

ARTICLES:

• The Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health
• Kids as Young as 8 Are Using Social Media More Than Ever, Study Finds
• US surgeon general issues advisory on ‘profound’ risks of child social media use
• Too Young for Social Media? The Case for Waiting Until 16
• Yes, Your Kid Can Be Addicted to Social Media—Here's How to Help
• Social media presents ‘profound risk of harm’ for kids, surgeon general says, calling attention to lack of research
• Surgeon General Issues New Advisory About Effects Social Media Use Has on Youth Mental Health

• TikTok pushes potentially harmful content to users as often as every 39 seconds, study says