As children return to school, two issues are rising to the top of parents’ list of concerns. It’s the role of social media and the internet in children’s lives.
More than half of parents rate mental health issues as the leading health problem for their children and teens, according to a national poll on children’s health from the University of Michigan Health Center CS Mott Children’s Hospital.
Overall, mental health and technology use occupy the top 10 spots on this year’s list of parents’ top 10 concerns about child health-related issues in the United States, and 10 years ago, parents This surpassed childhood obesity, which was ranked number one.
Parents still view issues that directly impact physical health, such as unhealthy diet and obesity, as important health issues for their children. But those have been replaced by concerns about mental health, social media, and screen time. ”
Susan Woolford, MD, MPH, Mott Paul Co-Director, Mott Pediatrics
Two-thirds of parents are concerned about their children’s increased screen time and social media use, ranking it on this year’s list of child health concerns, according to a nationally representative poll. They occupy 1st and 2nd place. .
“Children are using digital devices and social media from an early age, and parents are working hard to prevent negative effects on their habits that can interfere with safety, self-esteem, social connections, sleep and other areas of health. They may be struggling with how to properly monitor their use,” Woolford said.
Parents’ concerns about screen time have increased during the pandemic, according to previous reports. Woolford recommends that parents regularly assess their children’s technology use and consider limiting their use if they notice signs of unhealthy interactions or behaviors. Certain social media and device settings can also help protect children.
Concerns about mental and emotional health are top of mind
The poll results are based on 2,099 responses collected in February. It also shows parents’ continued concern for their children’s mental health. The majority of parents consider related topics such as depression, suicide, stress, anxiety, and bullying to be major issues.
And almost half of parents expressed concern about the lack of mental health services.
“The mismatch between the increasing number of young people with mental health concerns and limited access to mental health services has serious implications for children’s wellbeing,” Woolford said.
Parents also share a high level of concern about school violence, which may reflect first-hand experience with school shootings and fights, as well as media coverage of such events. Mr. Ford says.
She added that changes to the school environment, such as metal detectors, armed guards, locked doors and active shooter drills, can remind children and parents of the potential for school violence. While parents try to reassure their children, they may wonder how to deal with their own stress and anxiety.
“Parents can regularly talk with their children about how safe they feel at school and what they’ve heard about incidents of violence,” Woolford says. “Information needs to be tailored to the child’s age and provide reassurance about the safety measures the school has in place, while avoiding sharing graphic details.”
Parents from low-income households are at risk for multiple child health issues, including depression and suicide, bullying, school violence, unsafe neighborhoods, alcohol and drugs, smoking and vaping, teen pregnancy and sexual activity, child abuse, and childhood abuse. They were more likely to view the issue as a major concern. Neglect, parental stress, discrimination, coronavirus, and health risks from pollution.
Parents from middle- and high-income households, on the other hand, are more likely to rate overuse of devices and social media as a serious problem.
“Differences in how parents view children’s health issues reflect parents’ daily experiences dealing with environmental issues such as unsafe neighborhoods and discrimination, which children from lower-income families experience more frequently. “It’s a possibility,” Woolford said.
Woolford added that concerns about more child health issues may be reflected in the higher proportion of this group reporting that parental stress is a major problem.
But parents across income groups rated other items similarly, including unhealthy diets, obesity, medical costs, and lack of mental health services.
Just outside the top 10 health concerns for children are obesity (48%), firearms/gun injuries (47%), lack of mental health services (47%), poverty (45%), and alcohol use/ drug use (44%), child abuse/neglect (42%), followed by unequal access to health care (35%), parental stress (35%), inaccurate/misleading health information (31%); Teenage pregnancy/sexual activity (31%), Discrimination (31%), Dangerous areas (30%), Gay/Gender issues (LGBTQ) (29%), Health risks from contaminated water and air (23%) .
At the bottom of the list are vaccine safety (16%), parental overinvolvement (13%) and coronavirus (12%).
“Today’s school-aged children are experiencing dramatic changes in classroom environments, technology norms, and increased mental health challenges,” Woolford said.
“Parents should work with schools, educators, and their child’s health care provider to address both ongoing and emerging health issues. They should also engage in conversations with their children and teens. should be reviewed regularly and encouraged to share any concerns they may be experiencing physically and emotionally.” ”
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Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan