How do I keep my kid off social media (when I can’t get myself off social media)?

he amount our kids use technology, including social media, is the number one worry for 70% of New Zealand parents, according to the latest State of the Nation Parenting Survey from NIB.

Now get this stat: 50% of parents admit they are addicted to their own devices.

Read the full article on Stuff.

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Limiting social media use decreases depression, anxiety, and fear of missing out in youth with emotional distress: A randomized controlled trial.

Although many youth may not be harmed by heavy SMU, distressed youth may be particularly vulnerable. The aim of this study was to experimentally examine the effects of reducing SMU on smartphones on symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear of missing out (FoMO), and sleep in youth with emotional distress. Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly greater reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and FoMO, and greater increases in sleep.

Science

Problematic digital gaming behavior and its relation to the psychological, social and physical health of Finnish adolescents and young adults

The aim of this study was to identify problematic gaming behavior among Finnish adolescents and young adults, and evaluate its connection to a variety of psychological, social, and physical health symptoms. This research emphasized that problematic gaming behavior had a strong negative correlation to a variety of subjective health outcomes.

News

Calls for government to lift social media age limit to 16

A group of online safety advocates have banded together to call on the government to lift the social media age limit to 16 years old in New Zealand.

Screen Sense