Social Media: A Most Pernicious Interloper
Permission to Disengage
With the advent of smartphones in 2007, iPhones with cameras in 2010, and social media in 2013, there has been a sharp and significant rise in mental health disorders among adults, teens, and children alike. This phenomenon is no longer up for debate; study after study has proven the correlation between these technologies and anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide and other mental health challenges. (The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt)
Parents have lost the fight at home. They feel powerless and trapped by the ever-present distractions that have taken up residence both in their own lives and those of their children. Even for those who want to lessen or eliminate the use of devices, there is little support for this in the schools or in society at large. Parents are seeing the deleterious effects that social media, video gaming, and exposure to pornography are having on their children and yet feel powerless and unsupported to protect them.
I can help you find ways to be present for yourself and your family. Small, do-able actions are a good place to start. Weaning off of insidious behaviours is a challenge; it requires a brand new reframing or reclaiming of one's values. It requires a courageous and determined heart to go against the grain, to stand tall and strong in one's convictions.
Join me. With compassion and non-judgement, let's discover what's best for you and your family.
Some resources:
https://healthmatters.nyp.org/what-does-too-much-screen-time-do-to-childrens-brains/
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/negative-effects-screen-time-kids-rcna61316