The ding of incoming texts on your kid’s phone is more than an annoyance and distraction. It could actually be a sign of compulsive or addictive behavior. Here are a few indicators of compulsive texting from a study published in the October 2015 issue of the Psychology of Popular Media Culture:
The study examined the texting habits of 400 8th and 11th graders and the impact of those behaviors on academic performance. Compulsive texting is defined by more than just sending a large number of texts. It also includes trying to decrease texting without success, defensiveness about use of texting and frustration when unable to text.
As Kelly M. Lister-Landman, the paper’s lead author and an assistant professor of psychology at Delaware County Community College in Media, PA commented in a New York Times article,
“What is [texters’] relationship with phone use? Do they feel anxious when it’s not around them? When they sit down to eat dinner with their family, do they feel a need to check it? Do they feel compelled to look at it at all times, rather than just answering texts they get?”
Parents of girls should pay particular attention to this issue as compulsive texting has more negative academic consequences for adolescent girls, despite the fact that their overall academic functioning is higher than adolescent boys. The study notes that texting may create more anxiety and social distress for girls than boys and that the content of girls’ texts may be more distracting, thus leading to texting’s greater impact on their academic performance.
The study recommends that parents put the following safeguards in place:
This is where a contract with your kid can be a great tool. Click here for Screenager’s contracts.
http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/ppm-ppm0000100.pdf
Here is a video from the Screenagers YouTube Channel that talks more about this subject
The ding of incoming texts on your kid’s phone is more than an annoyance and distraction. It could actually be a sign of compulsive or addictive behavior. Here are a few indicators of compulsive texting from a study published in the October 2015 issue of the Psychology of Popular Media Culture:
The study examined the texting habits of 400 8th and 11th graders and the impact of those behaviors on academic performance. Compulsive texting is defined by more than just sending a large number of texts. It also includes trying to decrease texting without success, defensiveness about use of texting and frustration when unable to text.
As Kelly M. Lister-Landman, the paper’s lead author and an assistant professor of psychology at Delaware County Community College in Media, PA commented in a New York Times article,
“What is [texters’] relationship with phone use? Do they feel anxious when it’s not around them? When they sit down to eat dinner with their family, do they feel a need to check it? Do they feel compelled to look at it at all times, rather than just answering texts they get?”
Parents of girls should pay particular attention to this issue as compulsive texting has more negative academic consequences for adolescent girls, despite the fact that their overall academic functioning is higher than adolescent boys. The study notes that texting may create more anxiety and social distress for girls than boys and that the content of girls’ texts may be more distracting, thus leading to texting’s greater impact on their academic performance.
The study recommends that parents put the following safeguards in place:
This is where a contract with your kid can be a great tool. Click here for Screenager’s contracts.
http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/ppm-ppm0000100.pdf
Here is a video from the Screenagers YouTube Channel that talks more about this subject
Many young people are overwhelmed by constant social media use, which can displace important activities like sleep, schoolwork, and friendships. Over 200 school districts are suing platforms like Meta for harms related to social media addiction. The blog covers what problematic social media use is from a clinical perspective and how our kids can talk with a friend (or family member) if they are worried their friend might have some level of problematic use.
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A week ago, Instagram announced changes to its rules for “Teen Accounts.” All new teen users will be defaulted into these accounts, and current teen users will transition over the next two months. Instagram’s head of Products, discussed these changes, and one comment surprised me. She mentioned that teens aged 13 to 16 will need parental permission to have a public account, hoping this would encourage dialogue between teens and parents about social media use. However, I feel this still puts too much responsibility on parents when we need broader societal solutions. I discuss this and the rest of the changes in today's blog.
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We have created a table that compares the 4 most common social media platforms and the specific ways they are similar and different. Spoiler alert, they are way more similar than different. It makes perfect sense since companies see what young people use on other apps and incorporate such features into their own apps.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
