Psychologist on study linking smartphones, kids' mental health

POLICE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR THAT SHOOTER. FIVE ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. NOW, A NEWLY RELEASED STUDY FINDS THAT KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF 13 WHO USE SMARTPHONES HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. THE STUDY LOOKED AT ABOUT 2 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS 160 COUNTRIES, AND THEY FOUND THAT ESPECIALLY AMONG GIRLS, KIDS EXPERIENCED SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, POOR EMOTIONAL REGULATION, LOWER SELF-WORTH AND DETACHMENT FROM REALITY. RESEARCHERS SAY. THAT IS LIKELY DUE TO SOCIAL MEDIA ACCESS, SLEEP DISRUPTIONS AND CYBER BULLYING. AND JOINING US NOW IS DOCTOR ERIKA LEE, A PSYCHOLOGIST AT BOSTON CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. DOCTOR LEE HAPPY MONDAY. SO WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF KIDS, A LOT OF KIDS CAN BE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW. BUT BUT DO YOU THINK IT’S FAIR TO PUT THAT MUCH WEIGHT ON ON SMARTPHONES AND WEIGHT OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE BLAME PIE? YEAH, IT’S REALLY INTERESTING RESEARCH. AND THE CONCERNS YOU’RE HIGHLIGHTING ARE VERY REAL. RIGHT BEFORE WE GIVE KIDS INDEPENDENT ACCESS TO PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA, PARENTS SHOULD BE DECIDING WHAT ROLES THEY’RE GOING TO PLAY IN OUR KIDS LIVES. HOW ARE WE GOING TO MONITOR HOW THEY USE IT? WHAT ARE THE LIMITS WE’RE GOING TO SET? AND TO YOUR POINT, IT’S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE IT’S NOT AS SIMPLE AS TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME EQUALS ALL THESE PROBLEMS. THERE’S SO MANY FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE A CHILD’S OVERALL WELL-BEING AND MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE THEIR TEMPERAMENT, THEIR RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY DYNAMICS, STRESSFUL LIFE EXPERIENCES, AND OF COURSE, HOW OFTEN ARE THEY USING SCREENS AND WHAT ARE THEY USING FOR? THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE PUZZLE. SO THE RESEARCHERS DOCTOR FOR THE STUDY RECOMMEND WAITING UNTIL A CHILD TURNS 13. DO YOU THINK THERE’S SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT THAT AGE? UNFORTUNATELY, NO. IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER IF TURNING 13 CAME WITH THIS AUTOMATIC GUARANTEE, RIGHT? THAT YOUR TEENAGER HAS A CERTAIN LEVEL OF MATURITY, EMOTIONAL REGULATION, SOCIAL SKILLS, UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROS AND CONS OF THEIR CHOICES. BUT WE KNOW THAT 13 AND ONE TEEN IS NOT THE SAME AS 13 AND ANY OTHER TEEN, RIGHT? IT REALLY DEPENDS ON YOUR CHILD, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT. I THINK THE RESEARCH IS POINTING TO THE IDEA, RIGHT? THAT THE YOUNGER YOUR CHILD IS, THE LESS TIME THEY’VE HAD TO MATURE AND LEARN. REALLY IMPORTANT SKILLS. THEIR CHILDREN’S BRAINS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP UNTIL ABOUT THE AGE OF 25. SO WITH EACH ADDITIONAL YEAR, WHAT YOU’RE SEEING IS GREATER DECISION MAKING, ABILITY PLANNING, EMOTIONAL REASONING, IMPULSE CONTROL. WE OFTEN HEAR THIS NUMBER 14. AND I THINK THAT THAT’S A NUMBER THAT ADULTS FEEL LIKE IS DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE. AND MAYBE JUST WHAT THEY CAN ENFORCE. BUT EVERY CHILD’S READINESS IS INDIVIDUAL TO THEM. AND THIS IS A GREAT REMINDER, DOCTOR LEE. I MEAN, LET’S BE REAL HERE. THE END RESULT IS EVERYONE’S GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN AND WILL LIVE IN A LIFE WITH A SMARTPHONE. SO IT IS GOING TO BE THERE. SO YOU’RE NOT JUST A PSYCHOLOGIST, YOU’RE ALSO A MOTHER OF A YOUNG CHILD, NOT A TEENAGER. YET. HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK? IF YOU DON’T MIND, I ASK HOW MUCH YOU’LL APPROACH THE SMARTPHONE USE IN YOUR HOUSE. YEAH, I’M REALLY GRATEFUL WE DON’T HAVE TO CROSS THIS BRIDGE JUST YET. AND I HAVE NO IDEA. ONCE MY CHILD IS A TEENAGER, WHAT WE’RE EVEN GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY. BUT IT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT REMINDER, RIGHT. AS YOUR CHILD MATURES, LIKE REALLY WATCHING, WHO IS YOUR CHILD? WHO ARE THEY BECOMING? WHAT RISKS AND BENEFITS ARE THERE FOR THEM WITH SCREEN TIME? WHAT IS YOUR GOAL IN GIVING THEM A PHONE? AND ALSO, OF COURSE, HOW DO WE USE PHONES AS ADULTS AND PARENTS? RIGHT? WE ARE THE PRIMARY ROLE MODELS FOR OUR KIDS AND WE CAN DEMONSTRATE HOW DO WE USE TECHNOLOGY IN A SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE WAY, WHILE ALSO FINDING THE FUN IN THE GOOD IN IT TOO? WE HAVE TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. I JUST WANT ONE QUICK CLARIFICATION. I SAID 13, YOU SAID 14. WHAT WAS THE MAGIC AGE? THERE ISN’T ONE. IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THAT. THAT WAS YOUR ANSWER. OKAY. I THOUGHT YOU SAID 14. THERE ISN’T ONE. IT REALLY DEPENDS ON YOUR KID. RIGHT? AND THAT’S GOT IT. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY TO MAKE SURE. BUT YOU’RE RIGHT. IT’S IT’S A MOVING TARGET. YOU JUST. IT DEPENDS. ALL RIGHT. TH