In recent times, it’s hard to miss the headlines. It’s natural to experience a sense of unease when we consume news about war, climate change, and the economy.

Maybe you turn to social media to escape? You might think that viewing carefully curated images or videos of travel, food, and design could help alleviate your anxiety. However, we often forget that an excessive amount of information, regardless of its nature, can lead to overload and increased stress.

As adults, we’ve had years of practice in regulating and controlling our emotions and thoughts in response to the information we take in on a daily basis. Nevertheless, more people than ever before are feeling overwhelmed.

As per a study conducted by the American Psychiatric Association towards the end of 2022, there was an increase in the number of Americans who rated their mental health as fair or poor, with 37% reporting this compared to 31% the previous year.

If the adults are experiencing such emotions, I wonder how our children must be feeling.

The topic of our children arises, and I wonder how they are coping with the current state of affairs. The pandemic has inundated them with information, and the closure of schools has disrupted their routines.

The Surgeon General of the US has identified mental health as the most significant public health crisis of our time and is committed to addressing this defining issue for a generation.

According to a recent report from the US CDC, there has been an alarming increase in Emergency Department visits related to mental health diagnoses such as anxiety, eating disorders, depression, and more.

Many healthcare professionals around the world are urging us to promote solutions that can prevent, identify, and address the challenges faced by our youth, before they reach a crisis point. Many support this approach, as it enables us to provide the necessary resources to enhance education and literacy infrastructure, improve access, and develop effective programs.

However, we must also recognize that early access to devices and social media may contribute to the issues we observe among preteens and teens today. It is crucial that we address these factors as well.

Should we regulate access to devices?

Sapien Labs has recently conducted a groundbreaking global study involving over 27,000 young adults, which suggests that individuals who receive smartphones later in life have better mental well-being as adults.

Previous research on child brain development has primarily focused on how sensory stimulation in early childhood can affect the formation of neural pathways within the brain. While it may be tempting to hand over mobile devices to children, it is important to consider the potential impact of excessive screen time on sleep patterns and creativity, as highlighted by a Harvard study.

The connection between social media and mental health

In addition to the amount of time spent on devices, social media remains a significant factor.

A recent survey conducted by the OnOurSleeves initiative at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus found that seven out of ten parents believe image editing and filtering apps have a negative impact on their children’s body image.

The Surgeon General of the US has released a report urging the tech community to take action in safeguarding our children’s data, as well as highlighting the importance of families creating plans for tech-free periods. While technology and social media have numerous advantages, their detrimental effects on developing young brains are contributing to the current mental health crisis.

The current situation reflects the long-term impact of social media exposure spanning over a decade. It’s crucial that we make individual and collective decisions about how to proceed.

As adults, we can rely on our past experiences to cultivate healthy habits for maintaining our mental health. However, our children lack this advantage. It’s time for us, adults, to do something for our children