Derailing Mental Health

Smartphone usage can be dangerous to the health of children. Janet Parshall will share her thoughts on this in this week’s commentary.

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Episode Transcript

S1 (00:02):
There was a time when raising a child didn't include
giving them a device that holds them captive for hours.
That's not the case today. And scientists now believe too
much screen time is dangerous to a child's health.

S2 (00:14):
Here to unpack present day issues from a biblical perspective
is Janet Parshall.

S1 (00:20):
The Journal of Human Development and Capabilities published a study
that drew on data from the Global Mind Project to
examine the population level impacts of childhood smartphone ownership on mind,
health and well-being in young adulthood. The study pooled data
globally from more than 100,018 to 24 year olds. What
the data revealed was that before the age of 13,

(00:41):
owning a smartphone was associated with poorer mental health, especially
in females. Suicidal thoughts, diminished self-image, self-worth, and emotional regulation
were all impacted by using the device. The report also
found increased aggression toward others, less empathy toward people, a
detachment from reality and even hallucinations. The suicidal ideation impact

(01:04):
should particularly bother us. I can't imagine anyone giving a
very young child a smartphone, but what the study discovered
was that 48% of women who owned a smartphone by
5 or 6 experienced suicidal thoughts, compared to 28% of
those who had a phone by the age of 13
or older. For men, 31% had suicidal thoughts if they

(01:25):
had earlier exposure to a smartphone, compared with 20% who
received 113 or older. The Global Mind Project is a
large scale, open access data acquisition initiative that uses something
called the Mind Health Quotient. The Mhcc that's an online
self-report assessment tool that captures 47 social, emotional, cognitive, and
physical functions. The Mhcc score drops from 30 for those

(01:47):
who acquired a smartphone at the age of 13, to
just one for those who acquired a smartphone at age five.
The percentage considered distressed or struggling increases by 9.5% for
females and 7% for males. The authors of the study
believe that a third of children in the future will
develop negative mental health, especially if children keep getting smartphones
at a younger and younger age. Does a child need

(02:09):
a device at five? Waiting until 13 doesn't mean a
child won't be harmed, so protecting children through adolescence is crucial.
Perhaps this study gives us a clue as to why
Gen Z is struggling with mental health issues like no
other generation before. More screen time equals poorer mental health.
So here's my thinking on this. How long can we
delay providing these devices to our kids? Societal pressure isn't

(02:31):
a reason for us to abandon our divine appointment of
being a parent. Take nature walks with her child, read
great books together. Spend time thinking and dreaming together. Wait
as long as you can before surrendering your child over
to the electronic parent that can never and should never
do your job. Those are my thoughts. I'm Janet Parshall.

S2 (02:49):
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