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Ever feel like you'd have better luck getting your class's attention if you conducted your lessons via Snapchat? You're not alone. Teachers know that kids are tied to screens like never before, and they're seeing the effects of digital stress on a daily basis. Some might even wonder if their students suffer from social media addiction. Here are some ways you can help.

What is digital stress?

If you have a smartphone (and who doesn't?), chances are you've experienced digital stress. The very apps that are supposed to bring us pleasure and relaxation (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook) can wind up causing anxiety, loss of self-esteem, and endless FOMO (fear of missing out).

Social media and messaging apps make us feel like we must be constantly engaged online. The internet has opened up the world, allowing connection that's never been possible before. If we want, we can be in touch with someone every minute of every day. But that also leads to obsessive behavior, like checking your phone every few seconds to see if someone has responded to your text message or how many people liked your latest Facebook post.

More than that, many people feel the need to show only their "best selves" when they post. Snapping a selfie on vacation for Instagram is fun. Snapping 75 different selfies just to find the best one to post is stressful. Browsing Pinterest to find interesting ideas for decorating your classroom is fun. Looking at all the so-called "perfect" classrooms out there and comparing them to your own is stressful.

And this doesn't include the myriad problems that the internet itself created, including cyberbullying, "catfishing" and fake accounts, and loss of privacy. All in all, digital stress adds up for almost everyone.

Teens are especially susceptible to digital stress.

According to Savvy Cyber Kids, the average age for a child to get their first smartphone is 10, around fourth grade. While most parents monitor their kids' usage, especially in the beginning, 39 percent of kids with smartphones have a social media account by the age of 11.

A study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says teens spend two to three hours every day using their phones for leisure purposes (as opposed to homework or keeping up with current events). This doesn't count the amount of time they spend texting. Teens love to stay in touch, but these days they're not getting nearly as much face-to-face time. In contrast, they spend only 38 minutes a day socializing with friends in person.

What's the difference between online interactions and in-person engagement? For one thing, it's a lot easier to say things online you might not in person, especially if you can do it anonymously. Apps like Snapchat make it possible to send cruel messages that disappear a short time later and are hard to trace. Well over 30 percent of teens say they've been bullied online, known as cyberbullying.

Teens have always been susceptible to the need to fit in with others, which can be a big cause of digital stress. Girls especially tend to find it necessary to create the perfect online persona, which may or may not reflect their actual life. Kids at this age are still figuring out who they are; feeling like they have to be on display all the time is flat-out exhausting.

Is social media addiction real?

Digital stress is a well-known phenomenon, but what about social media addiction? It's a concept that's still new to science and considered fairly rare. The term is used to describe those who are so tied to smartphones and social media that it completely disrupts their daily lives. As with other addictions, a good indication of social media addiction is the inability to quit using it even for a short time, no matter how hard you try. Psychology Today recommends a user ask themselves these questions:

Do you spend a lot of time thinking about social media or planning to use social media?

Do you feel urges to use social media more and more?

Are there times you use social media to forget about personal problems?

Do you often try to reduce your use of social media without success?

Do you become restless or troubled if you are unable to use social media?

Does your use of social media have a negative impact on your job or studies?

If you feel that a student is so wrapped up in social media that their grades are slipping or their health and well-being are suffering, be sure to alert their parents or your school's mental health professional.

Learn how to help teens fight digital stress.

Though social media addiction is rare, digital stress is prevalent among teens and can have negative effects on their lives. It's important to start giving them the skills to handle their smartphones and social media use responsibly, because there's no doubt both are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Here are some steps you can take with your students.

Make your classroom a phone-free zone.

Many schools and teachers already have rules about cell phone use at school. If yours doesn't, now's the time to start. Have students "park" their phones at the beginning of class in a safe space (and don't trust them to keep phones in their bags or pockets!). Try these clever ideas-bonus points if you can set up charging stations. Oh, and teachers? This goes for you too, which brings us to our next point.

Model responsible smartphone and social media use.

When the bell rings, put your own phone away and let students see you do it. Resist the urge to check it during class. Pick it up only if you're using it for something related to your lesson: setting a timer, playing music, etc. Otherwise, leave it be.

It's best for teachers not to interact at all with students on social media, but if you have a professional account you use for school stuff only, curate it carefully. Make your posts meaningful and be careful about whom you follow. Get more tips here.

Phone messages can be a good way to interact with students and parents, but never give them your personal cell phone number. Instead, use an app like Bloomz or Remind.

Talk about digital stress with your students.

Let students know that digital stress is a real thing and that they have options for dealing with it. Talk about ways to limit their smartphone use, how to be safe online, and the importance of remembering to live in the "real world" too. This lesson plan from Media Smarts is a good place to start.

Your students might be surprised at how nice it is to take a break from their phone from time to time. So often, kids at that age are longing to make better decisions but are reluctant to do something that makes them different from everyone else. When you take the decision away from them during class and show them how to use social media responsibly, you're helping them set up a better pattern for the rest of their lives.
Phones and social media in school are tricky subjects. Get more tips on how teachers can navigate social media in the classroom here. How do you help your students deal with digital stress and the effects of being part of the smartphone generation? Come talk about your experiences on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

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A Teacher's Guide to Digital Stress and Social Media Addiction

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Ever feel like you'd have better luck getting your class's attention if you conducted your lessons via Snapchat? You're not alone. Teachers know that kids are tied to screens like never before, and they're seeing the effects of digital stress on a daily basis. Some might even wonder if their students suffer from social media addiction.

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Parents used to just worry about kids watching too much TV, or playing too many video games. We still worry about those things, but now the screen time list has gotten much longer. Phones, tablets, apps, social media, texting - they all can captivate kids (and adults) starting at a very young age. What's a parent to do? Going back to bed isn't an option, but taking a deep breath and encouraging rational moderation is. Here are some tips, broken down by age group, to get you started.

- Limit exposure. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding television and other entertainment media for children under 18 months. After 18 months parents can begin introducing "high quality" programming, but the AAP cautions that parents should watch with their children to answer any questions they might have. For children two to five, the AAP recommends limiting media consumption to an hour of high quality programming, again with the caveat that parents should be watching alongside.

- Start leading by example early. Even before your child has a phone or tablet of her own, show her how they should be used. Don't check your messages at the dinner table. Look at people when they're talking to you - not at your phone. Remember that your children are always watching you and young children notice everything - that's how they learn.

- Don't underestimate the value of traditional toys and open spaces. It's important for kids to experience unstructured "free play," which means that they decide what to do, and how to do it, and are playing simply for play's sake-not to get to the next level in a game, or learn some specific skill. Children should experience the fun of making up their own rules - and breaking them - as they go along. This kind of play lets kids:

Move at their own pace, instead of being driven (or hurried) along by fast-moving media

Develop creativity

Get experience making decisions

Practice sharing and working with others

Learn to be a leader and self-advocate

Apps - however educational they claim to be - are no substitute for the kind of learning that comes to kids naturally if we let it.

- Do leave the tablet at home. While they are helpful during a long car or plane ride, tablets and other devices are out of place in the stroller or car on the way to preschool. It's important for kids to have the opportunity to look around them and find entertainment (not to speak of learning) in the real world, too. And they should not be part of play dates!

- Watch things together. If you're worried that your kids are getting bad messages from the media, the best way to counteract them is to watch alongside your kids and point out when something isn't right. Call out a female character if she only seems to care about boys, or how she looks. Provide context if you are seeing unhealthy relationships (including friendships) or unrealistic beauty standards. Besides reinforcing your values, this will teach your kids to watch television and movies actively, not passively, which is good for their self-esteem. Do this during commercials, too!

- Screen time shouldn't be all the time. The AAP recommends that parents set sensible boundaries on how much screen time is appropriate for their child. Just as important: designating media-free spaces, like bedrooms and the dinner table. Establishing (and enforcing) these limits from a young age teaches kids to be healthy media consumers.

- Be discerning. Determining what is quality screen time and what isn't might not be obvious, but look out for things that:

Are age-appropriate

Engage your child's imagination

Have the right values

Common Sense Media has more pointers here. Conversely, if you don't want your child playing a particular game or watching a particular show, explain your reasons why and be specific - don't just say it's "bad."

- Don't make screens the reward (or consequence). Technology is enormously appealing to kids as it is, but when we make screen time the go-to thing kids get for good behavior - or get taken away for bad behavior - we are making it even more desirable, thereby increasing the chances that a child will overvalue it.

- Encourage other activities. There are many ways to have fun. Running around outside, playing a sport, reading books, doing crafts - variety is important for a balanced life. Encourage your kids to develop a wide range of interests. Model yourself doing this, too. Let your kids see you reading a book and making things and having a hobby. Finally, present these things as just as rewarding as screen time - not alternatives to it. Equal billing is important.

- Be prepared for them to discover porn. Even if they're not exactly looking for it, kids today can stumble onto pornography very easily. Curiosity is often a big motivator, so don't be shy about having some frank, developmentally appropriate conversations about sex. If they hear it from you then they'll be less likely to turn to the Internet for answers, and they'll be more likely to ask you to explain what they see online or hear from friends. And if they do see porn, let them know what they saw was no more realistic than any other movie.

Keep modeling good tech behavior. It's easy to let things slide once kids are older and have their own devices, but remember that the old rules still apply. Don't use your phone at the table and make sure your kids don't need to compete with a screen for your attention. Besides setting a good example, this shows them that you care and are interested, which makes them more likely to open up. Even though they're getting older, your kids still need to talk to you, not just their friends.

- Encourage privacy. Once kids have turned 13 they are allowed to get an account on Facebook and most other social media websites and apps (some kids cheat and get them earlier). Whatever age your family decides is appropriate for social media, make sure that your child is very careful about privacy. Research privacy settings with her and make sure she understands when something is public or private - or somewhere in the middle - and how that should affect what she posts. As a general rule, she shouldn't share anything online that she wouldn't be comfortable with the entire world reading. Including her grandmother.

- Yes to friending, no to spying. If your child is on social media, developmental psychologist Donna Wick, EdD, of Mind to Mind Parent recommends that you follow or friend him, and monitor his page. But she advises against going through text messages unless there is cause for concern: "If you have a reason to be worried then okay, but it better be a good reason," she says. "I see parents who are just plain old spying on their kids. Parents should begin by trusting their children. To not even give your kid the benefit of the doubt is incredibly damaging to the relationship. You have to feel like your parents think you're a good kid."

- Make it clear that naked pictures are a bad idea (and explain why). Sometimes kids think sharing photos is a way to build trust, but it can do the opposite just as easily. Your daughter might trust her boyfriend with her photos but he, in turn, might trust a close friend, and so on. Or she might trust him to delete the photos, but later finds out that he kept them on his phone, and people found them when they were scrolling through his pictures. These are some innocent ways the pictures could get into the wrong hands - there are a lot of less innocent ways they could, too. And once the pictures are out there, they can damage future relationships and job prospects, not to mention become the talk of the school.

Also, in case your kid doesn't know, if she is a minor, sharing naked pictures can get her and whoever she's sending them to in a lot of trouble for child porn, which is really not something she wants to mess with.

- Texting can be tricky. Warn kids that it's easy for people to misinterpret messages when they aren't hearing the tone of your voice or seeing the expression on your face. Jokes, in particular, might seem mean. To guard against misunderstandings and hurt feelings, it's always a good idea to make it clear when you're joking.

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Media Guidelines for Kids of All Ages - Child Mind Institute

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Child Mind Institute helps parents create healthy boundaries for kids' screen time, broken down for different age groups.

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Television violence: Do kids like it? Do adults like it?

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Studies suggest that both children and adults are happier when they reduce exposure to violent television content. Media creators serve up lots of

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In an increasingly digital world, most people own multiple electronic devices with screens. However, many parents worry about the effects of screen use on themselves and their children.

With screens virtually everywhere, controlling a child's screen time can be challenging. How can you manage your children's screen time? How will you know if you or your children are addicted to screens or video games?

Is screen time damaging?

It's difficult to avoid screens completely, especially with their importance at work and school. However, excessive screen time can affect a persons mental, social and physical health.

Too much screen time has been linked to:

Obesity

Poor sleep or insomnia

Behavioral problems, including impulsive actions

Loss of social skills

Violence

Less time for play

Eye strain

Neck and back problems

Anxiety

Depression

Difficulties with work or school

Screen time can be engaging for people of all ages. This is because their brains process and react to the sensory input as if it were happening to them. For example, many people have cried, laughed or been startled while watching a movie. This same type of engagement is possible when a person plays a video game.

While playing a video game, the person's brain processes the scenario as if it were real. If the game depicts a dangerous or violent situation, the gamer's body reacts accordingly. This "fight-or-flight response" to that perceived danger is triggered by exposure to intense stimulation and violence in the game. Excessive video game use can lead to the brain being revved up in a constant state of hyperarousal.

Hyperarousal looks different for each person. It can include difficulties with paying attention, managing emotions, controlling impulses, following directions and tolerating frustration. Some adults or children struggle with expressing compassion and creativity, and have a decreased interest in learning. This can lead to a lack of empathy for others, which can lead to violence. Also, kids who rely on screens and social media to interact with others typically feel lonelier than kids who interact in person.

Chronic hyperarousal can have physical symptoms, as well, such as decreased immune function, irritability, jittery feelings, depression and unstable blood sugar levels. In children, some can develop cravings for sweets while playing video games. Combined with the sedentary nature of gaming, children's diet and weight can be negatively affected, as well. Sometimes children will even avoid stopping the game to go to the restroom, which can lead to hygiene issues.

How can gaming become an addiction?

An addiction is defined as a person's inability to control use of a substance or behavior, despite negative consequences. Some people who are engrossed in screen time or video games while ignoring other normal activities could be close to meeting this definition.

So why does this happen? The reward center in the brain releases dopamine in response to a pleasurable experience or hyperarousal. If a person experiences hyperarousal while playing video games, the brain associates the activity with dopamine. The person develops a strong drive to seek out that same pleasure again and again.

Dopamine is a powerful neurotransmitter in the brain. It helps sustain people's interest and attention, which is why it can hard for people to tear themselves away from a situation or behavior. It's also self-reinforcing. The more times people experience the behavior, the more dopamine is released, and the more driven they are to return to the behavior.

Symptoms of screen time or video game addiction

Similar to tobacco, alcohol or drugs, screen time or video games can become an addiction if it damages your health and relationships, and you are unable to control it.

Some symptoms could include:

Having intense urges for screen time or to play video games, and these urges block out other thoughts

Spending money on video games or screens, even though you can't afford it

Cutting back on social or recreational activities because of preference for screen time or video games

Continuing to play video games or participate in screen time, even though you know it's causing problems in your life, such as poor performance at school or work, or letting household responsibilities go

Displaying signs of irritability, anxiety or anger when forced to stop playing, even for brief periods of time

Lying to others about the extent of your use

Needing more screen time over time to get the same level of enjoyment

Neglecting your appearance, including lack of interest in grooming or clothing

Continued excessive use of screens can result in long-term or permanent changes in the brain that require extensive behavioral and medical treatment to reverse.

What can you do?

As your child grows, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work as well. Not all kids are the same when it comes to screens and technology. Some children can self-regulate and might even put the screens down to go outside without you prompting them. Other kids become noticeably more anxious and quicker to lose their tempers when they spend a lot of time on screens. You'll need to decide how much media to let your child use each day and what's appropriate.

Consider applying the same rules to your child's real and virtual environments. In both, play with your child, teach kindness, be involved, and know who your child's friends and what your child does with them. Also, keep in mind that the quality of the media your child is exposed to is more important than the type of technology or amount of time spent. Encourage active screen time over passive screen time.

Active screen time is when you are interacting with other people that you know or when you are cognitively or physically engaged. For example, play educational games, or games that require players to build something together. Other options are fitness-type games that require movement while playing. Passive screen time includes watching screens with minimal cognitive engagement, such as scrolling through social media, watching online videos or playing simple games.

Set reasonable limits for your child's screen time and video game types, especially if your child's use of screens hinders involvement in other activities.

Consider these tips:

Follow guidelines for screen time, such as those suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Model healthy use of screens and video games. Consider unplugging when you first get home from work, at dinner and when driving. Model other methods of relaxation and entertainment, such as taking a walk, playing a game, having a dance party or reading a book.

Encourage a balance between screen time and activities that require in-person social interactions, such as family activities or extracurricular activities.

Create structured, screen-free times, such as during mealtimes, in the mornings and before bedtime.

Consider using apps that control the length of time your child can use a device.

Keep screens out of bedrooms.

Require that all devices be charged outside of bedrooms at night.

Learn about the game rating categories and only allow your children to play video games suitable for their ages.

If you're concerned about a child or loved one's use of screen time, consulting a behavioral or addictions specialist can help determine treatment options.
Edward Luker is a counselor in Psychiatry & Psychology in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

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In an increasingly digital world, most people own multiple electronic devices with screens. However, many parents worry about the effects of screen use on themselves and their children. With screens virtually everywhere, controlling a child's screen time can be challenging. How can you manage your children's screen time?

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Some kids spend long hours playing video games. Do they suffer from video game addiction? Not necessarily.

Kids might play video games with disturbingly violent themes. They might spend too much time on the couch, becoming more sedentary and socially reclusive. Kids might sometimes neglect their chores or homework, and they might fail to develop the ability to entertain themselves. But such problems don't mean that a child suffers from an addiction.

What's an addiction?

Originally, the term referred to a physiological dependence on a drug. Nowadays, people use "addiction" to describe all sorts of excessive behavior, like eating too much chocolate.

But while researchers avoid this usage, they recognize that some pastimes, like gambling, can become pathological and resemble true addiction.

And some kids who play video games meet the clinical criteria for an "addiction" in this sense.

Video games dominate their lives. Playing gives them a sense of euphoria, or at least a sense of relief from unpleasant feelings. Kids experience "withdrawal" if they are denied access to games. And gaming interferes with everyday life, including school and social relationships (Gentile 2009).

So pathological gaming is about more than how much time your child spends playing game. It's about video games taking over his or her life.

How many kids are in this fix? To get an idea, let's consider this screening tool developed by Douglas Gentile.

The Video Game Addiction Questionnaire

Gentile surveyed a random sample of 1178 American youth (aged 8 to 18), asking kids to answer each of the questions below with either a "Yes," "No," or "Sometimes."

Kids were considered to be pathological gamers if they responded with a "Yes" or "Sometimes" to at least 6 of these 11 questions:

1. Over time, have you been spending much more time thinking about playing video games, learning about video-game playing, or planning the next opportunity to play?

2. Do you need to spend more and more time and/or money on video games in order to feel the same amount of excitement?

3. Have you tried to play video games less often or for shorter periods of time, but are unsuccessful?

4. Do you become restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop playing video games?

5. Have you played video games as a way of escaping from problems or bad feelings?

6. Have you ever lied to family or friends about how much time you play video games?

7. Have you ever stolen a video game from a store or a friend, or have you ever stolen money to buy a video game?

8. Do you sometimes skip household chores in order to spend more time playing video games?

9. Do you sometimes skip doing homework in order to spend more time playing video games?

10. Have you ever done poorly on a school assignment or test because you spent too much time playing video games?

11. Have you ever needed friends or family to give you extra money because you spent too much money on video game equipment, software, or game/Internet fees?

Gentile scored responses in multiple ways. When he lumped together "Yes" and "Sometimes" responses, about 20% of his sample met the criteria for a video game addiction.

When Gentile counted only "Yes" responses, about 8% of the kids qualified as pathological gamers (Gentile 2006).

Either way, that's a lot of addiction, and the problem seemed to affect kids across a wide range of background. In Gentile's study, pathological video game use was unrelated to cultural variables, like race or the type of school attended.

Moreover, Gentile notes that pathological gaming has been reported all around the world.

In Spain, for instance, the rate of game addiction has been estimated at around 10% (Tejeiro Salguero and Bersabe Moran 2002). Video game addiction is also a major concern for some researchers in East Asia (e.g., Sun et al 2008). And in Singapore, the prevalence of pathological gaming may be around 9%(Gentile et al 2011).

But despite their varied backgrounds, game addicts have certain things in common. In Gentile's study, pathological gamers spent about twice as much time playing games (24 hours per week). They were more likely to have game systems in their bedrooms. And they also reported

In a Singapore study, researchers found that kids who met clinical criteria for a video game addiction performed worse at school (Skoric et al 2009). Interestingly, this study found no correlation between time spent playing games and school performance.
It was the symptoms of addiction that predicted poor school work, not playing per se.
What does it all mean?

As noted above, you don't have to suffer from a video game addiction to have a problem. So what's important about identifying pathological game habits?

I haven't found any scientific research on the subject, but clinicians advise that pathological gaming should be taken more seriously. It isn't "just a phase" that will get better on its own.

Your child might benefit from the same treatment therapies that work for pathological gamblers or substance abusers-therapies like cognitive behavioral counseling, peer support groups, and "12 step" programs (which seem helpful insofar as they motivate kids to stay on track-e.g., Kelly et al 2000).

Some thoughts about "flow"

It also seems wise to be vigilant about gaming experiences that might overwhelm a child's sense of self-control. People can become completely immersed in video games, losing awareness of the passage of time, of their real lives outside the game (e.g., Rao et al 2006).

Psychologists call this experience flow, and it's not a unique characteristic of video games. Plenty of other activities-including highly productive ones, like sculpting or composing music-can also create a sense of flow.

But some video games seem to have a peculiarly powerful effect, and I wonder how realistic it is to expect kids to keep their gaming habits in check.
Do the studies cited here overestimate rates of video game addiction? Let's assume they do. We're still left with evidence that some kids-by their own admission-are letting video games displace other aspects of their lives.
In addition to monitoring our children's habits-and setting limits-we might also think seriously about ways to cope with the allure of video game flow.

Some studies suggest that the most "addictive" video games are the fantasy role-playing games, especially for kids who are shy or unpopular (Lee et al 2007). So perhaps concerned parents should try to steer susceptible kids away from such games, and towards less overwhelming options, like electronic board games, puzzles, sports games, or simulation games.

And maybe parents can offer kids other, more productive or developmentally stimulating ways to enjoy a sense of flow. Kids can lose themselves in the exploration of local wildlife or the construction of a model bridge. But do they?

It's interesting to consider that while video games have become more popular, other opportunities for unstructured play have been shrinking. I'm not suggesting that video games are responsible. But perhaps the availability of video games has facilitated a major change in our lifestyles.

I remember when kids used to spend most of their free time outdoors, playing without the direct supervision of adults. Today, this is considered too dangerous, and for kids who live in high-crime neighborhoods, the danger may be real. In a study of American fourth graders, researchers found that gaming addiction rates were higher among kids who perceived their environments as less safe (Pentz et al 2011).

Are video games taking up the slack? Perhaps electronic games would exert less power over our kids if kids had more to do.

More information

For more information, I highly recommend Douglas Gentile's public web page about video game addiction, violence in the media, and related topics.

In addition, see this collection of evidence-based articles about the effects of video games - good and bad.

References: Video game addiction

Gentile D. 2009. Pathological video-game use among youth ages 8 to 18: a national study. Psychol Sci. 20(5):594-602.

Gentile DA, Choo H, Liau A, Sim T, Li D, Fung D, and Khoo A. 2011. Pathological video game use among youths: a two-year longitudinal study. Pediatrics. 127(2):e319-29.

Kelly JF, Myers MG, and Brown SA. 2000. A multivariate process model of adolescent 12-step attendance and substance use outcome following inpatient treatment. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. 14(4):376-389.

Lee MS, Ko YH, Song HS, Kwon KH, Lee HS, Nam M, and Jung IK. 2007. Characteristics of Internet use in relation to game genre in Korean adolescents. Cyberpsychol Behav. (2):278-85.

Pentz MA, Spruijt-Metz D, Chou CP, and Riggs NR. 2011. High calorie, low nutrient food/beverage intake and video gaming in children as potential signals for addictive behavior. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 8(12):4406-24.

Rau PL, Peng SY, and Yang CC. 2006. Time distortion for expert and novice online game players. Cyberpsychol Behav. 9(4):396-403.

Skoric MM, Teo LL, and Neo RL. 2009. Children and video games: addiction, engagement, and scholastic achievement. Cyberpsychol Behav. 12(5):567-72.

Sun DL, Ma N, Bao M, Chen XC, and Zhang DR. 2008.Computer games: a double-edged sword? Cyberpsychol Behav. 11(5):545-8.

Tejeiro Salguero RA and Bersabe Morán RM. 2002. Measuring problem video game playing in adolescents. Addiction 97(12): 1601-1606.
Content of "Video game addiction" last modified 3/13 image of boy gamer ©iStockphoto.com/Darren Hendley

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Video game addiction: A parent's evidence-based guide

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Some kids spend long hours playing video games. Do they suffer from video game addiction? Not necessarily. Kids might play video games with disturbingly violent themes. They might spend too much time on the couch, becoming more sedentary and socially reclusive.

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Family Media Agreement | SmartSocial.com

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A smartphone and social media agreement can help families create healthy internet habits.

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​Use this Family Media Plan to create a personalized plan for how all kinds of media are used in your family. ​​

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Read the latest articles from MediaSmarts experts and parent bloggers.

Our games are a great, interactive way to start a conversation on media issues at home and sharpen your media and digital literacy skills as a family.

From choosing the right video games to talking to your kids about important media issues like stereotypes or sexting, these tip sheets are available to help you navigate parenting in the digital age.

Our guides offer information and practical tips for parents and trusted adults to support the young people in their lives through digital issues like cyberbullying, online privacy and more.

Get a better understanding of the various activities kids and teens love to do online and learn comprehensive strategies and tips to help them.

Visit our YouTube channel for even more digital and media literacy learning.

Get a better understanding of the various activities kids and teens love to do online and learn comprehensive strategies and tips to help them.

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Read the latest articles from MediaSmarts experts and parent bloggers. Our games are a great, interactive way to start a conversation on media issues at home and sharpen your media and digital literacy skills as a family.

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Media use on devices like computers, tablets, smartphones, and TVs can be a source of learning and entertainment for kids. But too much can take away from other activities, such as sleeping, exercising, playing with friends, and doing homework.

Studies show that kids who watch too much TV are more likely to be overweight - and, depending on the content of what they see, more aggressive. Too media use is also linked to poor grades, sleep problems, and behavior problems.

What's Recommended?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) created these guidelines for media use:

Babies and toddlers up to 18 months old: No screen time except for video-chatting with family and friends.

Toddlers 18 months to 24 months: Some screen time with a parent or caregiver.

Preschoolers: No more than 1 hour a day of educational programming, together with a parent or other caregiver who can help them understand what they're seeing.

Kids and teens 5 to 18 years: Parents should figure out what media limits work best for their kids. Consider things like their age, health, and personality. Media should not take the place of enough sleep or being physically active.

Kids should have a wide variety of free-time activities, like spending time with friends and playing sports, which can help develop a healthy body and mind.

What Else Should I Know?

The quality of the media kids use is as important as the quantity, if not more so. That's why experts recommend that parents screen content and set time limits for media use. These limits can vary depending on the age, health, and personality of your kids, and also on your family's lifestyle and values.

Parents can help kids choose media content that is meaningful, educational, and social. They can also actively engage with their children as they use media to help guide them and teach them safe practices.

These online resources can help:

Date reviewed: August 2022

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Media use on devices like computers, tablets, smartphones, and TVs can be a source of learning and entertainment for kids. But too much can take away from other activities, such as sleeping, exercising, playing with friends, and doing homework.

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You may have picked up on some warning signs:

The more your 9-year-old son plays video games, the more distracted and irritable he becomes. Or maybe comparing her life to others on social media is leaving your teenaged daughter feeling down. Then there are the questions that are always looming: Should I limit screen time? Should I give my 11-year-old an iPhone?

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The Tech Solution is a to-the-point resource for parents and educators who want the best approach for raising kids in our digital world. It outlines all you need to know about the short-term and potential long-term consequences of tech use. Dr. Kang simplifies cutting edge neuroscience to reveal a new understanding around how we metabolize experiences with technology that will lay the foundation for lasting success. On top of that, she offers practical advice for tackling specific concerns in the classroom or at home, whether it's possible tech addiction, anxiety, cyberbullying, or loneliness. With her 6-week 6-step plan for rebalancing your family's tech diet, Dr. Kang will help your child build healthy habits and make smart choices that will maximize the benefits of tech and minimize its risks.

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Use The Tech Solution to help your child avoid the pitfalls of today's digital world and to offer them guidance that will boost their brains and bodies, create meaningful connections, explore creative pursuits, and foster a sense of contribution and empowerment for many years to come.

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The more your 9-year-old son plays video games, the more distracted and irritable he becomes. Or maybe comparing her life to others on social media is leaving your teenaged daughter feeling down. Then there are the questions that are always looming: Should I limit screen time? Should I give my 11-year-old an iPhone?

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Lesson - How Digital Media Affects the Brain

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Lesson - How Digital Media Affects the Brain

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Sometimes when you're using media, it's hard to stop. Lots of people even say they feel "addicted" to their phones or the apps and games they use. But is digital media actually designed to get you hooked? Have students think about the ways different digital media does -- and does not -- help us find healthy media balance.
This is one of four lessons in our digital well-being collection for middle school. If time permits, we recommend teaching all four lessons, in the suggested order, to maximize impact.

Explore ways that different digital media are, and aren't, designed to help them make good media choices.

Reflect on how digital media is designed to either help or hinder the addition of meaning and value to their lives.

Think about how to develop good, healthy habits when using digital media.

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Digital Media and Your Brain | Common Sense Education

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How does digital media try to hook you, and what can you do about it? Check out Digital Media and Your Brain, a free digital citizenship lesson plan from Common Sense Education, to get your grade 8 students thinking critically and using technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate.

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Lewis Ogden

Young people are spending more time online, and on social media, than ever before. This has caused consternation among some parents and lawmakers concerned about the negative impacts of social media.

However, many students have developed more nuanced approaches, finding their own ways to tap the benefits and mitigate the harms of social media.

This activity includes two readings. The first reading looks at how young people are using social media to find support. The second points to some challenges that young people-particularly those who are members of marginalized communities-face while using social media.

Following the readings, students share (in pairs and with the full group) their own experiences and consider possible ways to address the challenges they've experienced on social media.

In a go-round, ask students to share in turn:

What is your favorite social media platform?

Why?

Readings: Exploring the Benefits and Harms

Ask students to volunteer to read the following excerpts from two articles.

The first article explores the positive impact of social media and online platforms in developing and supporting young people. The second explores the negative impacts of these platforms, including on young people in marginalized communities.

Reading 1: Finding Support
In an April 2021 article for The Conversation, graduate student researcher Benjamin Kaveladze summarized his recent study on young people seeking community support online:
Reading 2: Experiencing Harm

Popular criticisms, such as the 2020 documentary "The Social Dilemma," have argued that social networking sites like Instagram warp young users' perceptions of reality, causing them psychological distress....

These concerns have some merit, but they may underestimate young people's resilience and ability to adapt to new social contexts. Online communities can also provide opportunities for young people to build social skills, share genuine interactions and discover and dissect new ideas with peers worldwide....These support forums provide users with valuable advice, emotional support, belonging, and validation that are not available from their in-person communities...

Many young people experiencing personal struggles turn to online communities to seek support. Some reach out to text-message group chats of close friends to vent and ask for advice. Others prefer to privately seek help from strangers around the world in anonymous support forums like Reddit's r/Anxiety, which often has over 1,000 members online at any given time.

Online, young people can avoid the social stigma that often comes with asking for help in person and are not limited by geographical barriers to find peers who share their backgrounds or perspectives.

Online exposure to racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, and more can come without warning and affect a wide range of young people. In a December 2018 article for New America, policy analysts Spandana Ringh and Dillon Roseen wrote of the case of one young person whose life was disrupted by online harassment:
Pair Share 1

For Rabia, it didn't take long for the abuse to start. Shortly after landing the editorial internship of her dreams and publishing her first major story, she began receiving vitriolic threats and insults across her personal and professional accounts online. The flood of incoming messages was overwhelming and deeply personal, often infused with overt anti-Muslim and sexist language. As soon as Rabia reported one threat to an online platform, another three would pop up to take its place.

As the online attacks against her grew, so did the consequences. First, she was doxxed-her cell phone number, home address, and the names and addresses of her family were shared online. Unsurprisingly, after this, she and her family received calls from people threatening to kill them.

When they reported the incidents to law enforcement officers, the remedies were ineffective, mostly because, despite their best intentions, the local law enforcement agents lacked the skills and resources needed to help in Rabia's situation. With no one to turn to and no way to stop the abuse, Rabia did the only thing she felt she could do: She curtailed her writing and restricted her use of the internet, for fear of being targeted again or, worse, being physically harmed.

Ask students to break into pairs. Each person will have 5 minutes to respond to this prompt:

Share a time in your life, recently if possible, where you had to deal with something challenging online.

What happened and how did you respond?

What went well?

What might you have done differently?

Pair Share 2
In the larger group, invite students to share out, popcorn-style.

In pairs again, give each person 5 minutes to respond to this prompt:

Share a time in your life, recently if possible, where you found support online:

What happened?

How did it make you feel?

In the larger group, invite students to share out, popcorn-style.

Group Discussion: What Do We Need?

In a whole group circle, ask students to share their responses to these prompts:

Based on your conversation with your partners, what support do you think young people need in order to navigate online platforms safely?

What should be the role of the government and other adults in power when it comes to making online spaces safer for young people?

What, if anything, can we ourselves do - individually or collectively, to address this challenge?

Closing

Ask students to share:

What is one thing that brings you joy when engaging with social media or online platforms?

What is one wish you have for young people as they engage in social media?

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Exploring Social Media's Benefits & Harms

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Young people are spending more time online, and on social media, than ever before. This has caused consternation among some parents and lawmakers concerned about the negative impacts of social media. However, many students have developed more nuanced approaches, finding their own ways to tap the benefits and mitigate the harms of social media.

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Find and share resources to help students learn to analyze, evaluate, and communicate in a world with countless media sources and constant access to powerful computers.

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We are always looking for teachers to help test resources and be the first to give feedback on our new materials. We truly value the opportunity to work with educators to make our resources better and to learn more about the kinds of materials that would support digital media literacy programming in the classroom.

MediaSmarts works with Teacher Champions in the following ways:

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On this page, you can find links to all of our resources for teachers and classroom tools.

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Media Use's Impact on Early Fine Motor and Subsequent Impact on Learning

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Media Use's Impact on Early Fine Motor and Subsequent Impact on Learning

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Highlights

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The cross-lagged first longitudinal study on media usage and fine motor skills.

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One hundred forty-one preschool children were tested twice, 1 year apart.

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Greater media usage predicted worse fine motor skills.

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Links were generally unidirectional, with media predicting lesser fine motor skills.

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Relations were stronger for newer media vs televition viewing.

Abstract

Media form an integral part of children's environments and represent, amongst other domains, altered sensorimotor experiences. Fine motor skills (FMS) represent a fundamental prerequisite for learning and cognition and initial work has begun to show links with screen media usage - although work is scarce and the directionality is uncertain. Therefore, using a cross-lagged-panel design with 2 waves 1 year apart, we examined longitudinal links between media usage and FMS in 141 preschool children. Results show a negative cross-lagged path from media usage to FMS, which was also statistically significant when only newer media were examined, after controlling for parental educational attainment, immigrant status, device ownership, age of first use, working memory, and vocabulary. The study contributes to our understanding of links between media usage and FMS development.

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Screen media are associated with fine motor skill development in preschool children

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The cross-lagged first longitudinal study on media usage and fine motor skills. * One hundred forty-one preschool children were tested twice, 1 year apart. * Greater media usage predicted worse fine motor skills. * Links were generally unidirectional, with media predicting lesser fine motor skills. * Relations were stronger for newer media vs televition viewing.

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Impact and Implications of Media Use on Brain Development

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Impact and Implications of Media Use on Brain Development

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Bruce D. Bartholow:  Effects of Media Violence on Mind, Brain and Behavior

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Violence in screen entertainment media (ie, television, film, video games, and the Internet), defined as depictions of characters (or players) trying to physically harm other characters (or players), is ubiquitous. The Workgroup on Media Violence and Violent Video Games reviewed numerous meta-analyses and other relevant research from the past 60 years, with an emphasis on violent video game research. Consistent with every major science organization review, the Workgroup found compelling evidence of short-term harmful effects, as well as evidence of long-term harmful effects. The vast majority of laboratory-based experimental studies have revealed that violent media exposure causes increased aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, physiologic arousal, hostile appraisals, aggressive behavior, and desensitization to violence and decreases prosocial behavior (eg, helping others) and empathy. Still, to more fully understand the potential for long-term harm from media violence exposure, the field is greatly in need of additional large-sample, high-quality, longitudinal studies that include validated measures of media violence exposure and measures of other known violence risk factors. Also, although several high-quality media violence intervention studies have been conducted, larger-scale studies with more comprehensive and longer-term assessments are needed to fully understand long-term effects and to inform the development of tools that will help to reduce problems associated with aggression and violence. The evidence that violent screen media constitutes a causal risk factor for increased aggression is compelling. Modern social-cognitive theories of social behavior provide useful frameworks for understanding how and why these effects occur.

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Dr  Gabor Maté  Attachment and Brain Development

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Find research based bullying advice and resources suitable for young adults, parents and teachers.

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Cyberbullying and teenagers - ReachOut Parents

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Learn about what you can do if online behavior gets nasty, and how you can help your teenager.

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Disentangling the pathways of parent screen time and child behavior

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What is healthy digital technology and screen use?

Healthy digital technology use is balanced and positive.

It's about what you use your technology and screens for, when you choose to use them, who you use them with, and how much time you spend using them. It's also about getting a healthy mix of non-digital and digital activities into your life.

How your approach to digital technology and screens influences children

Your choices about digital technology use and screen time can have a positive influence on the way your child uses screens. Children develop healthy habits for digital technology use and screen time when they see you and other key role models using screens in healthy, balanced ways.

You can have this kind of influence simply by making regular, screen-free time for your own activities and family activities, like walking, reading, eating and just talking. When you do this, it sends your child a couple of key messages:

There are many ways to entertain yourself, relax and have fun - and not all of them involve screens.

Family time is one of the most important ways to spend time.

And when you do use digital technology, it's important for your child to see you using it in productive, creative and social ways. For example, you might use your device to listen to music, draw, exercise or meditate. Or you might have a regular video call with extended family or a regular online gaming session with friends.

When you use digital technology in this way, it sends the message that digital technology use and screen time can be positive.

To grow and thrive, children need warm, responsive interactions with parents. But screens can sometimes get in the way of these kinds of interactions - for example, if parents interrupt conversations with children to check text messages. So when you're talking or playing with your child, it's great if you can put devices aside and really focus on what's important to your child.

Role-modelling healthy digital technology use and screen time: tips

Here are ideas for using digital technology and screens in healthy and positive ways. These ideas can help you set an example of balancing digital and non-digital activities for your child:
What you use screens for

Use screens in creative and healthy ways - for example, for creative activities like drawing, wellbeing activities like meditation or health activities like fitness tracking.

Avoid always using screens to entertain your child in situations like long car journeys or appointments. Try mixing it up with things like car karaoke, alphabet search, 'I spy', reading or drawing.

When you use screens

If you get a text message or social media notification while you're talking to someone, especially your child, wait until the conversation is finished before you check it.

Try not to have your phone, tablet or laptop in your bedroom at night. Charge your devices overnight in a family area, and teach your child to do the same.

Switch off the TV at family mealtimes or when it's 'on in the background'. You could try listening to music instead.

Who you use screens with

Use digital technology for keeping in touch with friends or family who live far away - for example, with weekly video calls or online board games.

Share screen time with your child. Playing a game, watching a show or making a playlist together lets you turn screen time into family time. This is a good balance for solo screen use.

How much time you spend using screens

Set aside some technology-free time each day, so you can be 'in the moment' with your child. This could be when your child gets home from school or you get home from work, during family mealtimes, when you're watching your child play sport, when you're at the park with your child and so on.

Work together with your child to create a family media plan. You could include things like no mobiles phone at mealtimes. Then make sure you follow the guidelines in the plan too!

Take breaks and move around regularly when you're using screens. And use your device at eye level for good posture.

Keep track of your screen time for a week. Include all your screen use - TV, video games, social media, texts and so on. If you think you're using screens more than you'd like to, reduce your use. Try logging out of social media apps to stop yourself from constantly checking them or put your phone in another room while you're working.

Role-modelling healthy social media use: tips

Healthy social media use can keep you connected with friends and interests, the latest news, your child's school and sports activities, and so on.

If you use and enjoy social media, there are plenty of ways you can be a role model for your child:

Regularly check the privacy settings on your social media accounts.

Take care of your digital footprint by being careful about the photos and comments you post and the photos and comments you're tagged in.

Make sure you're always respectful in your posts.

Talk about your social media use with your child. This will encourage your child to be open about their social media use too. If you share fun content with each other, it can be a great way to talk about the things you both like and think are important.

Talk with your child about following each other on social media. This can be a great way to be a part of your child's life and share interests. Younger teenagers might be OK with this, but older teenagers might not want you to follow them.

Ask your child for permission before you post a photo of them or share information about them on social media.

If your screen time feels out of control, try to change the ways you use technology. If you're finding it hard, look for support from friends, family or a professional. If your child sees you trying to manage your screen time, this sets a good example for them too.

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Parents, screen time and digital technology use: role-modelling for children

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Healthy digital technology use is balanced and positive. It's about what you use your technology and screens for, when you choose to use them, who you use them with, and how much time you spend using them. It's also about getting a healthy mix of non-digital and digital activities into your life.

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There's an experiment Sonia Livingstone had always dreamed of doing.

She's a social psychologist at the London School of Economics who researches children and media. And her dream experiment was this: "Let's turn off the outside world and see how it is if you've only got the technology."

During the pandemic, it kind of happened. Lockdowns started all over the world and families were stuck inside with their digital devices standing in for work, school, family, friends. And, Livingstone says, we learned something reassuring that we should have known all along:

"Of course, families want to be together." And children, and even teens, miss seeing their friends in person, riding their bikes, going to school.

Now that we're all living through this experiment, this was a great time to sit down with Livingstone and her coauthor Alicia Blum Ross - two researchers who I relied on in reporting my book The Art of Screen Time - and talk to them about their new book, Parenting for a Digital Future. It's based on several years of research with a diverse group of families in the UK.

Here are their takeaways about finding confidence and calm in this world of digital parenting.
This conversation was edited for length and clarity. In the book, you sort parents into three buckets: those that resist technology, those that try to find a balance and those that embrace technology. Can you talk more about that?
Sonia Livingstone: We thought about them as three modes of practice, or three ways in which parents engage with the world.

There are those that resist technology. For some parents, this is a response to some kind of trouble. Yet we were surprised to find that resistance is often value-driven - reflecting a desire to prioritize non-digital activities and visions of the future, sometimes as a way of resisting social pressures and commercialization more generally.

We heard from lots of parents that they're looking for balance. That's kind of the dominant advice that parents are given - to balance indoor and outdoor, online and offline, different kinds of activities. And we could see lots of them doing that.

We were especially intrigued by the parents who did what we called 'embrace technology.' They were the parents who resolved the question 'Should you let your kids have lots of screen time? Or should you try to restrict it? Is it the future or is it a problem?'

By embracing technology, they seemed to be saying, 'Look, it's the future, we need to get on with it. We need to find our way.' They were often the most enthusiastic about their approach. And the parents and children could figure out what was exciting about technology together. They often had the most shared practices.
What does it mean to really be a 'happy tech parent' as you call it in your book? What are some examples of the 'happy geek parent'?
Alicia Blum Ross: One thing I personally learned from the parents who embraced technology was how to live out family values through technology. For example, if a family was artistic, yes, they would do paper mâché and coloring, but they also found Monument Valley - this beautiful app - and would play it with their kids. And they would watch movies that felt consistent with how the parents wanted to live and what they wanted to talk to their kids about. And obviously the kids had their own preferences too, but the parents were very active in shaping that.

And certainly, as the parent of 7-year-old twins living through a pandemic and working a full time job, I would say I find a lot to be inspired by in these parents, because actually I need to rely on technology. From talking with a lot of parents who seemed more confident and calm in their embrace of technology, I learned that I can play an active role in figuring out what it is that I want my kids to spend time with.
I love that you're using the word 'calm' because I feel like parents really need to hear that right now. And we're all using technology in the way that you're describing, especially now, to get time for ourselves. But it comes with this burden of guilt and anxiety. And what you're describing is just a much more thoughtful and positive process - thinking about what kind of screen time would feel good.
Blum Ross: One thing that we learned from the research is that parents have a variety of tools in their toolkit. A lot of the advice for parents has focused on the restrictive forms of mediation - set these rules, keep the timer and watch the clock.

But are there other tools in my toolkit that I can use right now? One of those tools is doing some curation - doing some upfront research on what it is you want your kids to be spending time doing.

Another is talking with them about what they're doing and watching. For example, my 7-year-old son really loves the show Ninjago. It isn't the most beautifully curated show, but I can talk to him about it at the end - I can draw him out and then we can jump off the couch cushions like the Ninjago characters. I can start that off, and then his twin sister can reluctantly engage, and I can walk away and go cook dinner or do my work. It's about using that media as a jumping off point for other ways of spending time together.

Livingstone: It wasn't just that we felt parents were on their own and looking for advice, but also that they were on the receiving end of a barrage of advice.
So the idea of being a technology purist, which is kind of what the media tells us to do, is conflicting with what many families have as a pretty legitimate value, which is having a household where everyone gets a little bit of a say?
The research shows that parents are trying to live in a more democratic family in which parents and children have more trust between each other and can turn to each other when something goes wrong rather than feel they're going to be punished or criticized.
How does the values-based approach work with parents who are facing something like "should I give my kid a phone," for example? How do you see parents handling that skillfully?
We saw in the research that parents often use the media as part of that negotiation - to find something they could enjoy together or find something that would be a pretext for them to have a difficult conversation.

Livingstone: Absolutely. Parents are not digital immigrants. They know something about technology. They use it. They have their own kind of expertise. Parents can be confident in drawing on what they have learned and following their values in making judgments and explaining those to children. Because very often, if children get the explanation they'll want to argue a bit, but they'll see the point. But if they're just told without a reason, they'll push back.

Livingstone: So the key question given to parents is 'What's the right age for my child to have a phone?' And what we would say from the research, is parents take very diverse approaches. There's no one right answer. The idea of the democratic family recognizes the values parents are trying to encourage and also the values children might contribute in relation to the phone.

So if an important value for everyone is staying safe. Then the question is, is the phone the key way of staying safe or would there be other ways of managing and ensuring a child's safety? If it's about communicating with family who aren't in the same house? Obviously, they need access to a phone, but maybe they don't need their own phone. If it's about playing games and entertaining themselves when they're on their own, maybe for young children the solution is a phone without a sim card. It's not like there is a single right age, but more-so, what are the parents trying to make work?

What about our children's social and emotional development as mediated through screens? With so much of our children's socializing happening online, what are the kind of risks that you see? What are the tradeoffs? And how can parents navigate those?
We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail with a greeting, your name, phone number and a random life tip at The podcast portion of this story was produced by Clare Schneider. 202.216.9823. It might appear in an upcoming episode. Or send us an email at LifeKit@npr.org.
Blum Ross: I think what the pandemic has taught us, actually, is that it's not that we don't value those in-person connections. It's actually that everyone's desperate to get back to them and that we are using digital media as a way to supplement and augment the ways that we can be together.

Digital media really doesn't replace those other ways of being together, it just provides a kind of lifeline and a throughline and continuity for families who even pre-pandemic may have lived far from loved ones. We're all missing seeing people outside of our immediate family. But it really highlights to me how much in-person connection will reemerge when this is all over at some point.

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When It Comes To Screens, Kids Need A Guide - Not A Disciplinarian : Life Kit

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Some parents think the best way to manage a child's screen time is to set hard limits. But those rules are particularly difficult to keep during a pandemic, when screens are a lifeline for all of us. So what should the rules be?

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Dr. Jerry Bubrick Senior Psychologist, Child Mind Institute

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Mental Health Programs for Schools | Impactful Networks

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A Powerful Year-Long, Film & Evidence-Based Mental Health Education Program that Fosters Wellness, Trust, Help Seeking Behavior and Connection to Support Academic Achievement and Belonging.

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5 Videos That Get Teens Thinking Critically About Media | Common Sense Education

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Use these videos and quick discussion activities to spark meaningful classroom conversations.

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.