Poll: Screen time tops parents’ concerns about children’s health

Key takeaways:

• A poll found that parents were most worried about overuse of devices, screen time and social media use.
• Mental health issues were also frequently named as concerns.

Device overuse and screen time topped a poll of parental concerns about children’s health, followed by concerns about internet safety and mental health, according to results released on Monday.

The annual University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health received 2,099 responses to the poll in February from parents with at least one child.

“Parents still view problems directly impacting physical health — including unhealthy eating and obesity — as important children’s health issues,” Susan Woolford, MD, MPH, a pediatrician and co-director of the Mott poll, said in a press release. “But these have been overtaken by concerns about mental health, social media and screen time.”

The poll asked parents to rate each topic as a big problem, somewhat of a problem, or not a problem. The top five concerns rated as a big problem were overuse of devices or screen time (67%), social media (66%), internet safety (62%) depression and suicide (57%) and bullying ( 53%).

Around half of parents also named stress and anxiety, unhealthy diets and health care costs as big problems.

“The mismatch between the growing number of youth with mental health concerns and the limited access to mental health services has serious implications for children’s well-being,” Woolford said.

School violence and smoking/vaping rounded out the top 10 concerns.

“Parents may want to talk with their child periodically about how safe they feel at school and what they’ve heard about violent incidents,” Woolford said. “They should tailor the information to their child’s age and avoid sharing graphic details while offering reassurance about safety measures that their school has in place.”

The authors said parents in low-income households tended to name depression or suicide, bullying, school violence, unsafe neighborhoods, drinking or drugs, smoking or vaping, teen pregnancy or sexual activity, child abuse or neglect, parental stress, discrimination, COVID-19, and health risks from pollution as bigger problems, whereas parents in middle- or high-income households identified overuse of devices and social media as prominent issues.

“Differences in how parents view children’s health problems may reflect their day-to-day experiences dealing with environmental challenges such as unsafe neighborhoods, as well as discrimination that may be more frequently experienced by children from low-income homes,” Woolford said.

A past Mott poll found that 32% of children as young as 7 to 9 years old used social media apps.

“Today’s school-aged children have experienced dramatic shifts in classroom environments, technology norms and increased mental health challenges,” Woolford continued. “Parents should partner with schools, mentors and their child’s health care providers to address both ongoing and emerging health concerns. They should also regularly revisit conversations with their children and teens that encourage them to share any concerns they might be experiencing, both physically and emotionally.”

References:

Mott Poll Report. Overuse of devices and social media top parent concerns. https://mottpoll.org/reports/overuse-devices-and-social-media-top-parent-concerns. Accessed Aug. 21, 2023.

Overuse of social media and devices top parent concerns as kids head back to school. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/998613?. Published Aug. 21, 2023. Accessed Aug. 21, 2023.