\n The research adds to the understanding of the extent to which kids\u2019 digital media use has become a public health problem that health authorities should govern and regulate, said Louise Holly, lead author of the research on kids and digital media. It shouldn\u2019t just fall on parents to solve these problems, said Holly, policy and research coordinator at the Digital Transformations for Health Lab, a Geneva, Switzerland-based global consortium.\n <\/p>\n
\n Not all kids face the same risks: Young people who have mental health vulnerabilities, less offline support and lower digital literacy are more likely to be harmed, according to the research.\n <\/p>\n
\n The research utilized studies that often self-reported kids\u2019 screen use, and many found that digital media use was associated with harms but couldn\u2019t definitively say it caused them, Holly said.\n <\/p>\n
\n Using digital media also causes far more cases of adverse health outcomes than beneficial ones in youth, according to the research.\n <\/p>\n
\n Still, there are ways it can benefit kids\u2019 health. It can give them outlets to achieve autonomy, explore their identities, find information, entertain themselves and make social connections, the research found.\n <\/p>\n
\n It can have positive impacts on children when it \u201cfulfills what they want it to do,\u201d Holly said, and is used purposefully with support and supervision from caregivers, parents or guardians.\n <\/p>\n
\n Since no amount of warnings seems to get kids off digital media, I recommend focusing on how it can be healthy for kids \u2014 and helping them avoid the risks.\n <\/p>\n
\n Start by explaining to young people what\u2019s happening in their heads, said Dr. Nicole Amoyal Pensak, a clinical psychologist and founder of Atlantic Coast Mind and Body in Little Silver, New Jersey. She was not involved in the research.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThey\u2019re in a specific period of both vulnerability and opportunity because their brain is developing rapidly,\u201d she said. \u201cThey have more power and control than they think.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n That\u2019s because brains are very plastic in youth. Parts of their brains that kids use get strengthened, while those they don\u2019t use atrophy.\n <\/p>\n
\n Try explaining it like driving, Pensak said. Adults want kids to be in the driver\u2019s seat. Teach them \u201chow to build new roads but get rid of old roads that are not serving them,\u201d she said.\n <\/p>\n
\n How do you do that?\n <\/p>\n
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\n Pensak gives kids in her practice prunes to taste. Most don\u2019t like them, so they try to avoid them in the future. That\u2019s how we prune things from our brains, too, she said.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cWhen you don\u2019t like something, or when something doesn\u2019t make you feel good, you try to get rid of it,\u201d she said \u2014 or at least reduce it. To figure out what to prune, teach kids to pay attention to how they think, act and feel when using digital media, Pensak said.\n <\/p>\n
\n If a girl is comparing her body with others on social media, it\u2019s time to reset.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cThey need to not focus on that, not go over those roads,\u201d Pensak said. If they do, their brain will learn to think that way and it will affect their mood and behaviors.\n <\/p>\n
\n Be a shepherd helping kids find their way rather than someone who only controls access to their devices, Pensak said. You can do so by asking questions about their social media use and consuming content together.\n <\/p>\n
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\n Parents should also help kids explore roads that can be healthy for them.\n <\/p>\n
\n Digital media shouldn\u2019t replace in-person interactions, but it can complement them by helping children plan social gatherings or connect with like-minded people (as long as they do so safely).\n <\/p>\n
\n It can also help young people learn new things, so yes to videos that teach them how to crochet, otherwise be creative or do things with their hands.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to be depressed and anxious and thinking negative thoughts when you\u2019re actively doing stuff with your hands,\u201d Pensak said.\n <\/p>\n
\n Digital media can be especially helpful when kids are interested in activities that aren\u2019t offered at school or they don\u2019t do formally, she said. Maybe friends get together and make up a dance, recording it on video.\n <\/p>\n
\n Things that pose challenges \u2014 think getting to the next level of a video game \u2014 are also great for kids\u2019 brains. \u201cAs you build self-efficacy and confidence doing that, then you\u2019ll take on another challenge,\u201d Pensak said. \u201cAnd this builds your brain in a really healthy, great way.\u201d\n <\/p>\n
\n This latest research confirms what parents know \u2014 digital media can be terrible for our kids. Unfortunately, more data is unlikely to get most kids off their devices. So, let\u2019s try redirecting how they use them.\n <\/p>\n