If your children are grown and out of the home, you must be breathing a sigh of relief. The challenges today’s working parents face are very different from those faced by parents twenty or thirty years ago. Health and safety have always been a top priority but, today, mental health is at the forefront. Because of technology, more children are suffering from anxiety and depression than ever before.
Nearly 20% of teens in the U.S. suffer from depression. 42% of high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless. 6 out of 10 Gen Zs feel overwhelmed by current events. Yes, today’s working parents face the usual concerns all parents faced but now are faced with a unique challenge. They need to figure out how to prevent their child from being irreversibly impacted by the things they see online.
The second leading cause of death in children age 10 to 19 is suicide. Numerous studies have proven a link between social media use and the rise of mental health issues in children. Yet taking digital devices away from all children under the age of 21 isn’t practical or feasible. Even if your child weren’t allowed a smartphone, they can access social media on the computer or tablet you provided them for their schoolwork. Or they can go to their friend’s house to go online, or the library.
To make protect your child’s mental health, you need to be present. When you get home from work, put away all devices. Don’t turn on the TV. Sit down with your son or daughter and talk about your day. Ask them to talk about theirs. Play a board game. Cook dinner together. Set a household rule that no digital devices can be used between 5pm and 8pm other than for homework. Give them an hour for TV before bed but take their phone, computer, and tablet to your room at night so they’re forced to sleep. Show them that you care about who they are, what they’re thinking, and how they are feeling. Technology has made parenting more difficult, but not impossible.