Social media, kids and mental health: What we get wrong

This episode is a must-listen for all parents of kids who have smartphones, especially if you’re worried about the impact of social media on mental health. And isn’t that all of us, these days?

Dr. Devorah Heitner a renowned author and expert on kids and technology, has joined me again to share data and insights that happen to challenge a lot of the conventional wisdom we’re hearing all over the news. Get ready for a fresh take on parenting in the digital age — and some surprising recommendations for how we can best help.

You’ll hear actionable advice for parents, compelling research that supports it, and a thoughtful conversation around the nuances of these very complex issues. That includes where she agrees and disagrees with the Surgeon General’s recommendations about social media, the unintended consequences of social media age restrictions, the legitimate addictive behavior built into technology, the many factors contributing to mental health concerns (and why we should invest in more mental healthcare access generally), and the laws and regulations that we should be advocating for to ensure wellbeing and safety for all of us. Not just for our children.

Take a listen right here or on your favorite podcasting app

Please note that I don’t have any vested interest in proving that social media is healthy — or unhealthy — for kids. I simply want to get more perspectives, and be more informed about the data science, so I can make the most informed decisions to guide my own children. I really hope this helps you too.

You can find Devorah’s national best-seller, Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and libro.FM.

Links and helpful references from today’s episode:

The Surgeon General’s op-ed on social media warning labels for parents (NYT gift article, no paywall)
The SAFE Act: Governor Kathy Hochul signs a bipartisan bill to curb addictive behavior built into social
“There is no clear scientific evidence that social media is causing mental health issues among young people” (Washington Post)
Research analyzing 226 published studies examining connections between social media use and mental health. (Stanford University)
Devorah’s comments to the HuffPost about why social media is like riding a bike.
My interview with Anya Kamanetz, author of “The Stolen Year”
It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens (Dannah Boyd, 2014)
Should we ban phones in schools? This Cool Mom Picks Daily Question generated a lot of surprising comments
The unintended consequences of some social media regulations on vulnerable communities. (GLAAD)
GDPR: Europe’s General Data Protection Regulations have created comprehensive protections of privacy and data
The ID age verification service hack that exposed drivers licenses submitted to TikTok, Uber, and Twitter/X (EFF.org)
The best and worst states for mental health care: State by state rankings (Forbes)
Our Out Tech Your Kids Community on Facebook (Devorah loves that it’s a place parents come together and share our lived experiences)
Tips for keeping kids healthy on social media: Devorah Heitner’s previous Spawned interview:

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If you want to chat about today’s episode, pop into the Out Tech Your Kids Community on Facebook or the Spawned Community — or find me on Instagram at @coolmompicks or @mom101. Be sure to subscribe to Spawned wherever you get your podcasts and thank you for listening!