Pocantico Hills CSD

Pocantico Hills recently hosted a forum highlighting the concerns over the use of smartphones and social media.

Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Pocantico parent, Dr. Nathan Thoma, presented “Smartphones, Social Media, and Your Child’s Mental Health: What Science Tells Us and What You Can Do,” to a group of about 30 parents and educators via Zoom.

While the news was alarming, Dr. Thoma assured those in attendance that parents can curtail their child’s use of phones and social media, by setting guidelines with their children and collaborating with other parents to develop activities and events to keep children off their devices.

Smartphones, like the iPhone were launched in 2007, however the data really begins to show its impact beginning in 2010. Dr. Thoma said, that is when there is a clear increase in depression and anxiety in young girls and boys and a “massive increase in mental health struggles.”

He said too that in the following years there as a noticeable uptick in ER visits for self-harm among adolescents. He noted that studies show that the technology also impacts academic performance and sleep.

He shared how by 2015, 20 percent of teen girls reported using social media more than 40/week, and in 2023, more than 46 percent of teens reported being online most of the time.

“The purpose of social media is to help people feel more connected,” he said. “Sadly, there is an increase in loneliness by their peers, even while they are at school.”

His view of the data is that even if the numbers are a bit off, they show a clear message.

“The trends are quite real and substantial,” he said. “The effects are so profoundly large across the country; we have a massive and potential growing problem on our hands.”
 

Technology on its own is not the culprit, but rather how it’s used, he said.

“It invites negative comparisons with others, the number of likes or followers becomes a measure of self-worth, each post becomes an emotional roller coaster,” Dr. Thoma explained. “Human behavior online is different than when face to face. We see more bullying online.”

“It’s like social rejection on steroids,” he said.

To counteract these negative impacts, Dr. Thoma said experts offer guidelines, such as not allowing a child to have a Smartphone until the age of 14 and no social media until the age of 16. Also, these devices should never be used during school hours and there needs to be an increase in screen-free time for kids.

Dr. Thoma understands how difficult it can be for parents, as he is one and faces the same issue as others. When or if to get their kids a Smartphone, how to instill guidelines for its use, and how to push back on the “everyone else has one,” tactic a child may use are issus he's faced too.

He said he was advised to hold off as long as possible in getting a child a Smartphone.

Dr. Thoma suggested getting them a device that is strictly used for communication and does not have access to social media or online games.

“Parents can unite around a healthier path,” he said.

He suggested each class have a parent volunteer who would serve as a digital liaison, organizing meetings for parents to discuss what is happening in their lives with this technology and learn from one another ways to combat the pressure they and their children may experience.

In addition, he suggested parents do not allow the phones in their child’s rooms overnight. They can also do a phone stack at certain times when everyone in the family who has one leaves the phone in a certain place and does not touch it for a set period. Parents can also look for non-tech activities to do, like playing a board game or going for a hike.

“Emphasize the value of interacting and being off of phones,” he said.

Parents in the meeting shared the challenges they face. Sometimes it’s trying to decide when or if their child should have a device or finding a way to manage how much time their child is on one.

One of the things that will help with this issue, is that Gov. Kathy Hochul is considering a bill to make schools cell phone free during school hours beginning in September. Pocantico is also following state guidelines in not allowing students to have access to YouTube. And Camp Poco will now be phone free during camp hours.

It's also a balancing act, as Dr. Thoma alluded to, as being too restrictive with the use of this technology can turn into a problem as well and parents need to be flexible.

“Our children need our help with this,” he concluded.

Links to recording to watch the presentation.

Link to slides.