I have a dream. Years from now when my toddler is hanging out with his friends, his attention will be drawn by the skies and the tide. While everyone is standing there, occupied with their iPhones (which by then will likely be iBrainchips!), he’ll say, “Check it out, to the south! It’s the fastest living animal on earth, reaching speeds of up to 300kms when diving for its prey. Witness the great and wise Peregrine Falcon.”

When the internet surfaced in the 90s, everyone was blown away. The excitement and optimism spread fast. To be able to ask your computer questions and have it tell you the answers in seconds – phenomenal. So much goodness has come from the availability of information and the freedom it’s given us. But if you type social media and youth mental health into your browser, the story’s very different. 

Psychologist and bestselling author Dr Jonathan Haidt describes 2010 to 2015 as “the great re-wiring of childhood.” Why? This is when app creators competed to make money from our attention. It’s when companies like Twitter and Facebook made popularity tools with ‘like’ buttons and when the front-facing camera initiated the selfie generation. When children began adopting a phone-based life, with access to social media platforms, there was a huge rise in mental health problems. Rates of depression among 12–17-year-olds in the United States rose by 150%1. Hospitalisations for adolescents in the UK rose exponentially2. And in Australia, young people themselves, are citing social media as their main reason for mental health issues3.

Dr Haidt notes we rely on four elements of social interaction to thrive:

1. Embodied communication: This is often spontaneous and involves non-verbal cues that help us feel understood and validated.
2. Synchronous: This means in real-time. The delay from online interaction causes us to miss out on important feedback, reducing our confidence to speak in ‘real life’. 
3. Playful versus performative: Usually, you know who you’re talking with and who’s listening. Whereas online, you don’t always know who’s watching, and communication has become more about performance.
4. Community: We are tribal and need a solid social base. But if our interaction is predominantly online, switching between chat rooms with people we don’t know, avatars or fake names, we’re not going to feel truly connected. 

Children flourish when playing and exploring in ways that include all the above. They bloom when immersed in nature versus when their thumbs are glued to devices. But every parent and caregiver should understand that this isn’t about blame. The correlation between smartphones and the decline of youth mental health is a worldwide problem. And the solution isn’t simply to take things away, it’s about finding ways we can give children back the play-based life they need.

People and organisations are doing cool things for growing minds. Screen-free daycare centres are popping up around the world and locally, initiatives like Free to Be Bush Play are encouraging a nature-focused path. Screenstrong.org provides tips and resources for empowering individuals and families in reducing screen time across all age groups. A few suggestions include:

1. Make screen time interactive. Chat with your little one about what they’re viewing to help them make sense of what they’re exposed to.
2. Keep screens out of bedrooms. Kids don’t need to be entertained constantly. It’s healthy for them to learn how to tolerate boredom and create opportunities to make their own fun.
3. Find something around the house that needs fixing. You can teach your child the value of repairing versus buying something new to replace it. 
4. Involve children in cooking. They can create something that can be shared and that they can feel proud of. 
5. Use mealtime to ask your kids questions like “What’s the best memory you have of being a part of this family?” Or “If you had all the riches in the world, how would you choose to make people’s lives better?”

Change begins with us. Maybe start with asking yourself, “Does being online right now honour the person I want to be?” Yes or no, do what’s right for you. Perhaps by observing the skies more often, you’ll be greeted by the soaring wisdom keepers above, and be reminded that your presence online has nothing to do with how impressive you are in the world. 

Remember, it’s not about depriving ourselves of the wonders that smart technology has gifted us. It’s about finding a balance that enables us to be better for those we care about. Let’s continue utilising the upside of technology. Let’s keep having important conversations about how to do things differently. This way, we’ll empower ourselves to live the life we and the younger generation deserve. 

Annia Baron is a Clinical Psychologist and Mindset Coach. Want to learn more about mindset tools to create a life you desire and deserve? Get in touch on Instagram @anniabaron or visit www.remindyourself.com

References

1 Wilson, S., & Dumornay, N. M. (2021). Rising rates of adolescent depression in the United States: Challenges and opportunities in the 2020s. Journal of Adolescent Health, 70(3), 345-355.

2www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk

3www.headspace.org.au