Opinion: Social Media is Good... in Moderation

In today’s digital age, screens are everywhere. From smartphones to tablets to computers, we are constantly surrounded by screens. This makes many curious, just how much time are young adolescents spending in front of them? 

I recently interviewed ten DJDS 7th and 8th graders, five girls and five boys, to find out. 

 On average, 7th graders reported spending 4.5 hours a day on their phones, while 8th graders reported spending slightly less, at 4 hours a day. However, how do these numbers compare to what the experts say? 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children in America spend on average nine hours per day on screens. 

Nearly half of this amount is spent by the average DJDS 7th and 8th grader on their phone. 

That's nearly double the amount reported by the students I interviewed. So, what's going on here? Are these students spending less time on screens than their peers nationwide? Or are they underestimating their screen time?

One thing is for sure, these findings raise some important questions. Are screens dominating our lives more than we realize? How does screen time affect our health and wellbeing? And what can we do to find a healthy relationship between screen time and other activities? 

To delve deeper into this issue,  you have to consider the impact of excessive screen time. According to an article by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, spending too much time in front of screens can lead to a host of problems, including eye strain, sleep disturbances, and even obesity. With children spending so much time on screens, are they putting their health at risk?

However, while excessive screen time can impact cognitive development and social skills, it's important to acknowledge that screens offer valuable educational opportunities and entertainment. 

Children might miss out on face-to-face interaction and hands- on learning when “glued” to their screens, raising questions about their future success and happiness. However, screens can also serve as powerful tools for learning and exploration, offering the ability to bridge to educational apps, online tutorials, and opportunities to stay connected with friends and family through social media. 

So, what’s the takeaway here? It's pretty clear that screens are a big part of 11 to 14-year-olds’ lives nowadays. But it's also important to remember that they're not all bad. Sure, spending too much time staring at screens can mess with your sleep and make your eyes feel like they’re gonna fall out, but they can also be super helpful and provide entertainment. 

Think about it. Screens are where we can chat with our friends, learn new things on YouTube, and even explore far-off places without ever leaving our bedrooms. They're like a window to the whole wide world, right at our fingertips.

But, like anything, it's all about finding the right balance. Sure, I love binge-watching my favorite shows or scrolling through TikTok for hours, but I also know that I need to take breaks and do other stuff too. Like going outside to walk my dog or reading a book.

Kris Lopez, a DJDS Upper Division Counselor, tends to agree that social media has good and bad aspects. “It [social media] can offer a lot of opportunities for connection and tools for finding information,” Lopez said. “With that, it can offer opportunities for bullying, false information, comparison, and form of addiction.” 

All in all, the issue of screen time among 11 to 14-year-olds is complex and multifaceted. While it's clear that excessive screen time can have negative effects on health, cognitive development, and social skills, screens also offer valuable educational and social opportunities. 

Instead of seeing screens as the enemy, maybe we can find ways to make them work for everyone. Let's figure out how to use them in a way that's healthy and fun. Finding a balance between screen time and other activities is essential for ensuring the well-being and development of young adolescents. After all, screens aren't going anywhere, so we might as well make the most of them.