{"id":4314,"date":"2023-06-23T21:40:22","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T21:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=4314"},"modified":"2023-06-23T21:40:23","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T21:40:23","slug":"lisa-ling-is-encouraging-parents-to-limit-social-media-use-for-kids-heres-how-she-does-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=4314","title":{"rendered":"Lisa Ling Is Encouraging Parents to Limit Social Media Use for Kids. Here&#8217;s How She Does It"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/post.healthline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lisa-ling-1296x728-header-1296x729.jpg?w=1155&amp;h=2268\" alt=\"Lisa Ling\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/post.healthline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/lisa-ling-1296x728-header-1296x729.jpg?w=1155&amp;h=2268\" alt=\"Lisa Ling\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cI have tremendous concern about the impact that technology is having on our kids\u2019 brains and behavioral health,\u201d said Lisa Ling (pictured above). Paul Archuleta\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Acclaimed journalist and TV personality Lisa Ling is speaking out about social media and the negative effects it can have on kids\u2019 mental health.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Research has shown that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes such as symptoms of depression and anxiety.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In May, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on social media and youth mental health.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more than 20 years, acclaimed journalist Lisa Ling has covered impactful national and international stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the stories that stay with her most explore youth mental health, a topic she reported a lot about on her CNN show \u201cThis is Life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor me, the issue of youth mental health has become one of my biggest priorities\u2026in particular, I have tremendous concern about the impact that technology is having on our kids\u2019 brains and behavioral health,\u201d Ling told Healthline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the mother of two children, 10 and 7 years old, the issue is personal, especially as her children approach adolescence. She expressed \u201cmassive concerns\u201d about how inundated their brains are becoming during a crucial time in human development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor me and for most human beings, that period of middle school, [is] perhaps the most vulnerable in our lives. We are bombarded by these feelings that we have difficulty identifying and add to that now these devices, which are arguably akin to drugs because of the addictive nature of what is available on these devices and through social media and how much control these algorithms have over our minds that it\u2019s just become such an important issue for me to speak out on,\u201d Ling said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To spread awareness beyond her reporting, Ling serves on the advisory council for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.onoursleeves.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">On Our Sleeves&nbsp;<\/a>(OOS), a national movement for children\u2019s mental health that provides clinician-informed resources developed to help both youth and parents navigate negative mental health impacts and social media use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">Social media\u2019s impact on youth mental health<\/mark><\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On May 23, 2023, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/about\/news\/2023\/05\/23\/surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-about-effects-social-media-use-has-youth-mental-health.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">advisory<\/a>&nbsp;on social media and youth mental health. He called for urgent action by policymakers, technology companies, researchers, families, and young people to gain a better understanding of the full impact of social media use, maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of social media platforms, and create safer, healthier online environments to protect children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jamapediatrics.2022.4924\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Studies<\/a>&nbsp;show that frequent social media use may be associated with distinct&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-018-03126-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">changes in the developing brainTrusted Source<\/a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/human-body-maps\/amygdala\/\">amygdala<\/a>, which is key for emotional learning and behavior, and the prefrontal cortex, which controls impulse control, emotional regulation, and moderating social behavior, and could increase sensitivity to social rewards and punishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, such as symptoms of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/depression\">depression<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/anxiety\">anxiety<\/a>, according to a longitudinal cohort&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamapsychiatry\/fullarticle\/2749480\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">studyTrusted Source<\/a>&nbsp;of US adolescents aged 12 to 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[Children] are at an important stage in their development where they have a harder time regulating their behaviors and emotions. They are also developing their self-identity and are really focused on peer opinion. This puts them at higher risk of the negative consequences of social media to their mental health,\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.onoursleeves.org\/about\/our-team\/clinical-director\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ariana Hoet, PhD<\/a>, executive clinical director of OOS and pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children\u2019s Hospital, told Healthline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, research found that health outcomes like\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1001\/jamapediatrics.2015.0944\" target=\"_blank\">cyberbullying-related depression<\/a>, body image and disordered eating\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S1740144516300912?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\">behaviors<\/a>\u00a0in adolescent girls is linked to social media use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Benefits of social media for youth<br>If used in a positive way, social media can bring about benefits for kids too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Pew Research, most teenagers who think of social media as generally positive said so because of its ability to keep them connected to and interacting with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere are ways to interact with a variety of individuals that they might typically not interact with, broadening their worldview and sometimes decreasing isolation when someone feels alone,\u201d Dr. Elizabeth Ortiz-Schwartz, chief of the adolescent transitional living program at Silver Hill, told Healthline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Creating communities based on interest across the globe can be exciting and can in theory be done safely, she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cKids and teens might learn to be more aware or sensitive to things that they have not experienced themselves as well. Additionally, they might connect with others that share similar struggles, especially if they do not have many traditional social outlets,\u201d said Ortiz-Schwartz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How to limit and monitor your child\u2019s social media use<br>Because social media platforms change quickly and the way kids engage with them might vary, Hoet said it can be challenging for parents to keep up, making it harder for them to set limits and boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She recommends that parents consider their child\u2019s stage of development, personality, mood, ability to follow rules, how they respond to peer pressure, and more before deciding to give access to social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf they do decide to give access, it\u2019s important parents have a conversation ahead of time with children about the expected boundaries and limits to their use,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She recommends using the OOS Family Social Media Plan to create a plan for the whole family that helps minimize conflict, support good choices, and address misuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe call it a family plan purposefully \u2014 the adults in the household should follow the same rules too. Kids learn by watching us, so it\u2019s important parents model healthy social media use too,\u201d said Hoet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because kids develop socially and emotionally by stages that are not fixed, Ortiz-Schwartz stressed that delaying, slowing down, and being intentional with social media and internet use is important in order for kids to enjoy the benefits of connecting with others as they grow up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe goal is to do things in stages and teach kids to gradually be responsible digital citizens,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is Ling\u2019s goal with her children. She recognizes how hard it is for her to control device use and how scrolling mindlessly on social media changes her moods. Because of this, she puts more emphasis on limiting her children\u2019s use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[I\u2019m] just trying to delay the inevitable because I\u2019m certain that kids are going to become as addicted as adults have become but in this crucial stage of brain development I just want to try and protect them as long as I can,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While her household isn\u2019t device free, during the week her kids are rarely on devices. However, she does occasionally allow them to communicate with their friends via text or Facetime. On Saturdays and Sundays, she typically allows them to watch an hour of screen time and encourages them to avoid watching things that require them to be constantly swiping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While her kids do their homework on devices, when it comes to reading, she doesn\u2019t allow them to read books on screens. Instead, she checks books out from the library or buys them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI try hard but it is a daily struggle even if I don\u2019t allow them to use [their devices], they\u2019re trying to get mine. Sadly, kids don\u2019t know how to be bored anymore, they feel like they need to fill every second,\u201d said Ling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She didn\u2019t always put limits on screens and technology, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ll be honest, 10 years ago when my little girl was a baby, I didn\u2019t know any better so I would constantly give her a device to placate her. Whenever she was fussy or temperamental, I would give her my phone and I knew instantly that that would calm her down,\u201d said Ling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As more and more research came out about the negative impacts of screens and how excessive use during infancy can result in diminished executive functionTrusted Source by age 10, she became concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI could see the behavioral changes in my child whenever I would try to take it away from her. There was nothing that compared, she would rather forgo playing or interacting with other kids to have a device in her hand,\u201d said Ling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While it\u2019s really hard to limit use, she encourages other parents to heed the warnings from research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re all in this together. This is not an attempt to shame anyone,\u201d said Ling. \u201cI\u2019m trying to sound the alarm to other parents so that they don\u2019t repeat the behavior that I employed when my kid was a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health-news\/lisa-ling-is-encouraging-parents-to-limit-social-media-use-for-kids-heres-how-she-does-it#How-to-know-if-your-childs-social-media-use-is-problematic\">https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health-news\/lisa-ling-is-encouraging-parents-to-limit-social-media-use-for-kids-heres-how-she-does-it#How-to-know-if-your-childs-social-media-use-is-problematic<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For more than 20 years, acclaimed journalist Lisa Ling has covered impactful national and international stories. However, the stories that stay with her most explore youth mental health, a topic she reported a lot about on her CNN show \u201cThis is Life.\u201d \u201cFor me, the issue of youth mental health has become one of my biggest priorities\u2026in particular, I have tremendous concern about the impact that technology is having on our kids\u2019 brains and behavioral health,\u201d Ling told Healthline. As [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-preventative-care"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4314"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4315,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4314\/revisions\/4315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}