What is screen-time doing to children’s mental health?
This Saturday 20th January, can you turn off your phone and have an ‘unplugged’ day?
We’re hearing from Dr. Charlotte Armitage, founder of No Phones at Home Day CIC, who is exploring the impact of technology and device-use on children’s mental health and whether putting down the device can improve relationships.
“I believe devices are one of the biggest contributing factors to the mental health epidemic that we are experiencing now”
It has become a common sight to see – children and adults heads down, engrossed in the content on their devices wherever we go. Seemingly without our consent or control, device use has become an integrated, necessary part of everyday life: in schools and restaurants your required to use a phone to order food; every brand has an app to download in order to get discounts; and social media is the only method of communication for some organisations. It’s fair to say that the use of phones and devices is here to stay, but at what cost?
As a mother myself and through the work I do as a psychologist and psychotherapist with children, parents, families, individuals, television contributors and organisations, I have observed the impact that technology is having on our mental health. I believe that technology is causing a disconnect in families as children choose to spend time on devices rather than relating to each other.
It’s for these reasons I launched No Phones at Home Day in 2023 (third Saturday of January), and created No Phones at Home CIC. As devices become commonplace in today’s society, it’s important that we are educated and aware of the impact that these technologies can have on our mental health and that of our children, so we can make informed choices surrounding the use of these devices within our family.
“Not only are devices unhealthy for child mental health, but they also adversely impact adult mental health too.”
There is a plenty of research evidencing the negative impact of devices on maternal attachment from the pre-natal stages of parenting onwards. Attachment is essential for the healthy psychological development of any individual, as such I want to encourage people to put the devices down, to see how they feel and to hopefully implement device free time in their homes on a regular basis. Not only are devices unhealthy for child mental health but they also adversely impact adult mental health too.
“The behaviour of my child and our relationship improved instantly when devices were removed.”
Through my own explorations, I found that the behaviour of my child and our relationship improved instantly when devices were removed, so much so, we now have a devices free day in our home every week. The focus of No Phones at Home Awareness Day (20th January 2024) is to encourage families to consciously turn their phones off, to switch off their tablets and devices, and to undertake alternative activities which involve them connecting and having fun together.
“The current generation of young adults and children are tech-babies; babies who from birth have been exposed to the adversities of devices in all forms.”
I believe devices are one of the biggest contributing factors to the mental health epidemic that we are experiencing now. The current generation of young adults and children are tech-babies; babies who from birth have been exposed to the adversities of devices in all forms. Whether that is through parents being distracted on their devices, a tablet device being given to them to calm them down, phones to keep them distracted whilst in a restaurant, or access to the open online world of toxic material via social media and the internet in general; these children have all been exposed to this dangerous cumulative effect of devices. None of the aforementioned have currently been researched or restricted significantly enough to ensure that psychological harm isn’t being inflicted on children as they curiously engage in and explore online without parents being consciously aware of the potential harms it is causing.
“Getting it right…in the early years is fundamental to support healthy psychological functioning for children.”
There are significant challenges facing our children and young people. As a mental health professional, I know that getting it right, in terms of parenting in the early years, is fundamental to support healthy psychological functioning for children. By supporting them with early intervention and embedding positive changes and a healthier attitude and approach to smart phone use and social media, we have an opportunity to make a difference to their mental health and support them to become psychologically healthy adults.
