St. Albert parents can dial in to a free talk this Thursday on how smartphones can affect the health of their kids.
Up to 60 people will be at the Sturgeon Heights School gym this Jan. 23 for a free talk on smartphones and youths. The talk has been organized by Unplugged St. Albert and the Sturgeon Heights School Council.
Unplugged St. Albert is the local branch of Unplugged Canada, a national group that encourages parents to not give their kids access to a smartphone before age 14.
Kirsten Sweet, co-founder of Unplugged St. Albert and Sturgeon Heights School Council member, said parents had told her that many St. Albert youths were starting on smartphones as early as Grade 3, with some saying their kids were amongst the few in their classes not to have one.
“There’s a lot of pressure on parents and on kids to get them at a young age.”
Sweet said this talk would have area experts review the latest research on how smartphones affect youth health. St. Albert RCMP Cst. Rachel Glendenning would discuss local trends on how youths use social media platforms such as Snapchat, while Natasha Pearson, school engagement lead for St. Albert Public, would share her observations on how smartphones can affect student learning and career readiness.
Digital candy
Tania Johnson, psychologist and co-founder of the Institute of Child Psychology, will discuss research on how early exposure to smartphones and social media affects youths.
Smartphones and social media can help youths find supportive communities and a sense of belonging, and can also cultivate civic awareness and community involvement, Johnson said.
But smartphones can also be highly addictive, and excessive use of them can affect mental health, she continued. Researchers have found excessive smartphone use has been associated with anxiety and depression in girls and less in-person socialization in boys, as well as poor social skills. Some studies have found it leads to structural changes in the brain similar to those seen in cocaine addiction.
Other studies have linked excessive smartphone use to sleep deprivation and attention fragmentation, Sweet said.
“They’re not getting exercise. They’re not out in nature. They’re not socializing or having eye contact.”
Johnson likened Facebook, YouTube, and other forms of passive entertainment commonly enjoyed through smartphones as “digital candy” — great for a quick hit of dopamine, but potentially addictive and harmful in excess. She encouraged parents to have their kids get more “digital veggies” through their phones by using them to write, code, and collaborate.
Johnson encouraged parents to become digital mentors with their smartphones. That means teaching kids about online safety and etiquette and putting limits on where and when smartphones should be used.
“If you’re saying no phones in the bedroom, that means for the whole family,” she emphasized — the kids won’t do it unless they see you’re doing it as well.
While the province’s recent ban on smartphones in schools could improve student grades and reduce cyberbullying, Sweet said parents still have to manage phone use outside of school. She encouraged parents to consider smartwatches and text-only phones for young children instead of smartphones.
Johnson said parents whose kids already have problems with smartphone use should work with them to set limits on its use, possibly with help from a third party such as a school councillor.
“It’s okay to take the lead as a parent.”
Sweet said she hoped this talk would help parents not feel pressured to get smartphones for their kids.
“By delaying as a community, it just gives them a chance to be kids for a little bit longer.”
The talk runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Sturgeon Heights.