RAISING HEALTHY KIDS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

FIVE TOOLS TO CURB THE NEGATIVE INFLUENCE OF TECH ON YOUR CHILD

Something is happening around us that is making many parents uneasy. We are starting to see it in our children's friend groups, we are reading about it online, and we are witnessing the statistics of medication use amongst children. What are we talking about? Childhood anxiety and depression -- words that hurt us to use in the same sentence.

It’s a sad reality, but a true one: many of our nation’s children are suffering from some form of depression or anxiety, and it’s only getting worse. Let’s look at the numbers… A recent Time Magazine article reported that in 2015 roughly 3 million teens ages 12 to 17 had had at least one major depressive episode in the past year, (according to the Department of Health and Human Services.) More than 2 million report experiencing depression that impairs their daily function. And about 30% of girls and 20% of boys–totaling 6.3 million teens–have had an anxiety disorder, according to data from the National Institute of Mental Health.

That’s a lot of unhappy children -- and they haven’t even reached the age of mortgages, financial burden, work stress, and marital complexities. So what, exactly, is happening out there that is so negatively impacting the happiness levels of this generation of children?

You don’t need to be a social anthropologist to realize that our children are exposed to more technology than any previous generation. In fact, six in 10 children older than nine years old now own a cellphone, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, and teens text an average of 60 times a day with four in 10 also using video chats. What’s more, kids eight to 18 years old spend about 10.5 hours a day in front of a computer, television or mobile device --( up from 7.5 hours a decade ago.) That’s a lot of screen time! And while some will argue that our children are growing up as “digital natives” (a term coined by influential video game video game developer Marc Prensky,) it doesn’t mean that it is not having a negative effect on their developing brains.

Richard Freed, a well-known child and adolescent psychologist who authored the book “Wired Child: Debunking Popular Technology Myths,” believes that “Technology overuse could be rewiring kids’ developing brains in ways that could explain the growing number of kids diagnosed with anxiety and other psychiatric disorders. Ironically, some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley (such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates) seem to be aware of this, and admit that they are strict about limiting the amount of screen time their own children are allowed.

In spite of the data, some of the leading minds in traditional education are on board with this all-pervasive tech reality. The increase in technology in the classroom has been touted as a great step in educational development. Yet that hasn’t reaped the rewards that were so eagerly anticipated, and in many ways, the technology just comes between the teacher and the student, de-humanizing the element of education that has stood the test of time.

The good news is, it really doesn’t have to be this way. While our world is continually evolving, and we are never going to truly go back in time (nor should we necessarily want to,) there are definite steps we can take to ensure our kids find balance and happiness in this increasingly digital age.

FIVE TOOLS TO CURB THE NEGATIVE INFLUENCE OF TECH ON YOUR CHILD

1) Postpone the age you introduce technology in your child’s life. There are so many healthier pastimes for the developing mind such as outdoor, unscheduled, and imaginative play. The American Board of Pediatrics began, ten years ago, recommending NO screen time for children under two. Modern science meets ancestral wisdom as more and more people are coming to realize the dangers and drawbacks of screens in both children and adults. Screens are hard on the eyes and cause the body to become sedentary, reducing brain function and slowing metabolism. But screens also harm the child’s intellect and creative abilities -- the very things which will allow them to be progressive, free-thinking entrepreneurs in their adult, and young adult lives.

2) Provide as much time in nature as possible. Nature has been called the great teacher, where children not only develop a sense of responsibility for our planet and our natural world, they also meet what is greater than themselves, cultivating a deep sense of reverence and love for their surroundings. Time in nature has been shown to counteract anxiety, depression and even symptoms of ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. In nature, a child can exercise deep creativity, imagination and wonder.

3) From a young age, children learn about the world around them through imitation. Be sure to model healthy tech usage around children by putting your phone down when speaking with them, looking them in the eyes to let them know you are listening, and by keeping your phone away from the table at mealtimes. For older kids (and once cell phone ownership becomes more inevitable) establish a rule from the start that cell phones stay downstairs overnight.

4) Question whether you want your children to be learning through devices in early grade school. Explore alternative education models such as Waldorf that focus on hands-on and teacher/child centric learning. Waldorf schools are not anti-tech --they simply believe that children under 12 receive no benefit from learning through technology, while the benefits of hands-on learning of core subjects are plentiful.

5) Understand that there will be no disadvantage to your child adopting technology later than today’s “norm.” You only need to see how quickly a three year old can navigate their way around an Ipad to see there is little barrier to entry into the world of technology once a child is developmentally ready. In fact, high school students who have studied in a way that encourages critical thinking skills and curiosity can quickly learn computer skills, but the reverse is not so easy.