Most children with phones are spending more time on screens than on any other activity, leading to mounting problems around anxiety, sleep deprivation, cyberbullying, and the sharing of sexual texts or images, or “sexting,” according to Michael Rich, associate professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
A June 12, 2019 Southeast Missourian article gave details about a recent presentation on smartphones and kids that Rich gave at Harvard Business School. In his talk, Rich noted that 42% of 10- to 17-year-olds have ended up on porn sites, and that the average age of a child when he or she first visits a porn site is now 9 years old. Additionally, Rich said, 14.8% of 12- to 17-year-olds have texted sexual messages or explicit photos of themselves and 27.4% have received them.
Rich added that nearly 30% of teens sleep with a phone in bed, leading to obesity, anxiety, and depression.
Rich said that he doesn’t believe “abstinence” from the devices is the answer, and that it is parents’ responsibility to teach kids how to use phones responsibly.
Read the Southeast Missourian article: How much are America’s children suffering from smart phones, Snapchat and sexting, and what can be done about it?