Teens and Screens --- Helping Kids Manage Their Electronic Worlds

1. Teens and Screens --- Helping Kids Manage Their Electronic Worlds Gregory Ramey, Ph.D. Vice President for Outpatient Services Pediatric Psychologist December 3, 2009

4. For directional purposes only, this table estimates daily U.S. teen media use across a variety of platforms based on a range of Nielson sources from 2008 and Q1 2009. Details of these estimates are contained in the body of this paper. Source: The Nielson Company

5. Should you monitor your teen’s internet usage? • No • Yes • Yes, but only if I had concerns based upon past problems

6. Social Networking • 51 % of teens check their sites more than once a day. • 22 % check their sites more than 10 times a day. • 39 % have posted something they later regretted. • 37 % have used the sites to make fun of other students. • 25 % have created a profile with a false identity. • 24 % have hacked into someone else's social networking account. • 13 % have posted nude or seminude pictures or videos of themselves or others online. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/10/MN9T1954T7.DTL&tpe=pr...#ixzz0PO6iEGOj

7. Virtual Friendships • Josh Evans and Megan Meier

8. Top Internet Searches By KidsAges 8-12 • You Tube • Google • Facebook • Sex • My Space • Porn

9. The Internet has generally fostered a more positive discussion of sexuality. • True • False

10. Video Games • $2billion in sales in 1½ years • (Wii, Dance Dance Revolution, EA Sports Active) • Kids under 12 account for 24% of sales • 57% of kids ages 2 to 12 play videogames • 75% of 10 to 14 year olds play games

11. At what age should children get their own cell phones? • 6-8 years old • 9-11 years old • 12-14 years old • 15-17 years old • 18 + years

14. Text Messages

15. Cell Phones and Cheating • 35% of teens with cell phones report using cell phones to cheat on exams • Less than half thought texting answers to friends was cheating

16. Texting and Driving • Among truck drivers, collision risk is 23 times greater than non-texting drivers • College students, 8 times greater risk for car accidents

17. Should you monitor your child via the GPS unit on the cell phone? • No • Yes • Yes, but only if I had specific concerns

19. TV Commercials • Fat-producing foods are eaten or talked about 5 times more often in kids’ shows than adult programs • 1 hour of kids TV = 2.6 instances of eating or talking about unhealthy foods

20. Predicting Teen Sexual Behavior • 6-18 year olds • Every hour the youngest group (6-8) watched sexual content increased their chances of having sex in adolescence by 33% • University of North Carolina Study, 2006 • Positive correlation between teens exposed to media with high sexual content and likelihood of sex by 16 years of age

21. TV and Teen Pregnancy • Teens exposed to the most sexual content on TV were twice as likely to get pregnant before age 20 • Encourages/normalizes sexual activity in early adolescence • Promotes inconsistent use of contraceptives

22. Potential Risks of Watching Violent Television Programs • Less sensitive to the pain of others • More fearful • More likely to act aggressively --- imitation of role models

23. Pleasures and Pitfalls of Kids’ Electronic Worlds - Risks • May provide too easy an escape from the real world • Less time with family and friends • 28% reported spending less time with family members, up from 11% in 2006 • Drop from 26 hours/month to 18 hours/month • Increased technology positively correlated with adolescent sleep deprivation • Electronic addiction • Extensive television watching related to increased obesity, premature sexual activity, aggression, overall passivity, and poor school performance

24. Pleasures and Pitfalls - Risks • Increased likelihood of being victimized ---sexually or emotionally • Combined with driving, texting/cell phones represent a serious risk • Cell phones can serve as a negative psychological umbilical cord

25. Pleasures and Pitfalls of Kids’ Electronic Worlds - Benefits • Fun, entertaining, and exciting • Positive educational benefits • Tremendous opportunities for social support • Mechanism to deal with real issues in a safe and timely manner • Chat rooms • Social networks • Texting

26. Which best describes your view of technology (computers, cell phones, phones, video games)? • Family life is more enjoyable with these technological advances. • The disadvantages of technology outweigh the positive effects on family life.

27. Suggestions for Parents – Cell Phones • Have your child pay part of the cost. • Monitor text messages. • Place limits on phone and text messaging. • Discuss respect and etiquette. • Have an explicit discussion of sexting with your child. • Establish privacy and safety rules. • Develop rules consistent with your child’s level of responsibility.

28. Suggestions for Parents - Internet • Become computer literate. • Utilize parental controls consistent with your child’s developmental level. • Keep the computer in a public setting for younger children. • Limit, prohibit, or monitor participation in social networking sites. • Be concerned about excessive internet usage. • Review safety rules and family expectations.

29. Suggestions for Parents - Television • Limit TV availability. • Do not put a television in your child’s bedroom. • Discuss issues of morality, sexuality, and values. • Don’t be reluctant to label programs as toxic --- and discuss why. • Engage in family activities as an antidote to passive viewing of media.