Oct 30, 2023 23:00:00

Research results show that it is not SNS that makes children depressed but excessive interference from parents

The opinion that ``

SNS has a negative impact on children's mental health '' is often heard, and in fact, a group of American attorneys general said that `` Instagram and Facebook are harmful to children's mental health' ', and the developer Meta is suing. However, research has shown that `` helicopter parents '' who constantly monitor and interfere in every aspect of their children's lives are more likely to cause depression in children than SNS.

Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children's Mental Well-being: Summary of the Evidence - The Journal of Pediatrics
https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(23)00111-7/fulltext

New Study In The Journal Of Pediatrics Says Maybe It's Not Social Media, But Helicopter Parenting That's Making Kids Depressed | Techdirt
https://www.techdirt.com/2023/10/26/new-study-in-the-journal-of-pediatrics-says-maybe-its-not-social-media-but-helicopter-parenting-thats- making-kids-depressed/

The American Psychological Association analyzed multiple previous studies and found that although there were multiple previous studies showing that social media has a negative impact on children, no studies were able to prove the causal relationship.

According to the analysis, social media appears to have no real benefit or harm for most children. However, it is also clear that some children can benefit from social media. Specifically, children cited the ability to find and communicate with like-minded people online as one of the benefits of using social media. On the other hand, it has been pointed out that in some cases, social media may exacerbate existing problems in children.

Analysis of past research shows that the negative impact of social media on children's mental health is very limited. However, the myth that social media is bad for children continues to spread, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service has released a report titled ``Social Media and Youth Mental Health,'' stating that social media use is bad for children. They point out the negative effects caused by social media, and argue that social media needs to be regulated.

SNS has positive effects on children and young people, but can pose serious risks, reports Surgeon General urging policy makers and technology companies to take action - GIGAZINE

Techdirt points out that this common belief that ``social media has a negative impact on children'' has led to the addition of age verification rules and age restrictions to keep children away from social media.

Those who promote such social media regulations seem to cite graphs about suicide rates among teenagers and claim that ``the rise in suicide rates is correlated with the rise of social media.'' The graph below shows the suicide rate of young people aged 15 to 19, and it is clear that the suicide rate has continued to rise for both men and women since 2000, when social media began to rise.

However, if we look back at data on the suicide rate among teenagers before 2000, we find that the suicide rate increased significantly from the 1970s to the early 1990s, and then suddenly fell sharply by 2000. You can see.

Based on the graph above and the failure of all studies that have attempted to link social media to the deterioration of children's mental health, it is possible that other factors are involved in deteriorating children's mental health.

A new study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, a peer-reviewed medical journal, has identified factors that may be even more detrimental to children's mental health than social media. According to the same study, helicopter parents are more detrimental to children's mental health than social media.

The study analyzed previous research that focused on children's ``independent mobility'', which is the ability of children to move around neighborhoods or towns without adult supervision, and found that between 1970 and 1990, children's It seems that the ability to move independently is significantly reduced.

For example, a survey on the 'permission' given by parents to their primary school children found that in 1971, 86% of primary school children in the UK were given permission to walk home alone from school; In 2010, it decreased to 35% and to 25% in 2010. In addition, the percentage of people who are granted permission to use public buses has decreased from 48% in 1971 to 15% in 1990 and 12% in 2010.

Furthermore, another study conducted between 2010 and 2012 that compared children's 'independent mobility' in 16 countries found that Finland stands out as the country that gives children the most independent mobility. has become clear. The same study found that by the age of seven, Finnish children are able to move freely within walking distance or by bicycle, and by the age of eight, the majority have obtained permission to cross a highway. They seem to have permission to walk home alone from school, go out alone after dark, and go out alone after dark. Furthermore, by the age of 9, the majority of children will be able to ride a bicycle on a highway by themselves, and by the age of 10, the majority will be able to travel by bus.

According to the National Personal Transportation Survey in the United States, the number of elementary school students walking or cycling to school decreased from 47.7% in 1969 to 12.7% in 2009. Therefore, the paper states, ``Although we could not find any research on the ``independent mobility ability'' that parents provide to American children, the ``independent mobility ability'' provided to American children is likely to be closer to that of the UK than to Finland. ” he points out.

In addition, data from

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the suicide rate for children under 15 increased 3.5 times from 1950 to 2005, and increased by an additional 2.4 times from 2005 to 2020. is increasing. No other age group has seen such a large increase in suicide rates, with suicide becoming the second leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 15 in 2019, second only to unintentional injury. It became clear. Furthermore, according to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted in 2019, 18.8% of American high school students have seriously considered suicide, and 15.7% have made a suicide plan. It seems that 8.9% of students have attempted suicide at least once, and 2.5% have attempted suicide at a level that requires treatment.

Additionally, the relationship between the time children spend on independent activities at home and psychological characteristics that predict future well-being has been investigated. As a result of the survey, there was a significant positive correlation between the amount of self-building time (mainly time related to free play) and ``emotional regulation and social ability'' and ``self-regulation two years later.'' One thing has become clear. Also, engaging children in games that intentionally put them in dangerous situations (such as climbing trees) can help prevent the development of phobias and increase children's confidence that they can effectively deal with emergency situations. It has also been shown to help you connect and reduce future anxiety.

Other studies in which adults are asked to reminisce about their childhood experiences have also found that those who were allowed independent activities during their childhood were happier later in life. Those who said they engaged in a lot of free and adventurous play in elementary school were more likely to be socially successful, have higher self-esteem, and have lower overall outcomes as adults than those who said they had few such experiences. Their mental and physical health is rated as good. Another similar study also found that the amount of free play in childhood was positively correlated with measures of social success and goal flexibility (the ability to successfully adapt to changing life conditions) in adulthood. I did.

Furthermore, studies that evaluated the degree of overprotection and overcontrol among parents of college students revealed a positive correlation between overprotective parenting styles and levels of anxiety and depression. In other words, children of parents who interfere a lot are more likely to suffer from depression.

The research team said: 'Much of the current debate about young people's mental health focuses on the increasing use of digital technology, particularly the role of social media. However, a systematic review of studies on these Most studies claim that either screen time or time spent using social media leads to deterioration of mental health, and there are few studies that support the claim that there is a correlation between the two. No,” he points out.