What is Negative Peer Culture?

Is my child addicted to screens? Games and social media apps have become the preferred coping mechanism for kids. For some, it is the only coping mechanism they know. Whether recovering from a bad day or suffering from the teenage angst that comes with hormones, brain development, and navigating difficult social situations, teens say the ability to escape with technology helps them from dwelling on life situations they can’t control.

Unfortunately, brain research is finding that the stress and anxiety students use technology to escape from is exacerbated by its use. Video games are only engaging to individuals if they raise blood pressure to a level that floods the body with cortisol (the body’s stress hormone). Studies also show that cortisol is also released with every text or snapchat left on “read”, and while waiting for the number of “likes” and “views”. Moreover, everyone else’s life looks a little more awesome than ours, since very few people are posting anything but their best, completely filtered self. None of this is new information to parents, but many are asking, “How do I know if my child is addicted or just doing the same thing all of his/her friends are doing?” Things to consider: 1) Is the person beginning to choose videogames or technology over interactions with friends and family? 2) Does the person feel anxious, depressed, or moody when attempting to cut down on his/her use? 3) Is the person neglecting school work or other activities in order to spend more time online? 4) Are the person’s closest friends people from an online community (video games or chat groups), more than people he/she sees in daily life? 5) Is the person using technology for longer periods of time in order to get the same sense of satisfaction and wellbeing? 6) Does the person need to immediately respond to an alert on their phone, computer, or gaming device? A Duke University study reported that teens who use screens four hours a day or more are at higher risk for mental health issues (the maximum hours recommended is 2). A word of caution ... as you begin to question your child’s screen time, they will be checking yours, as well. If you are like me, you may need to find a different way to keep your patience in a grocery line.

RECOMMENDED READING: Glow Kids by Nicholas Kadaras iGen by Jean Twenge

HAVE A QUESTION? livingstoncouncil4youth@gmail.com We cannot guarantee all questions will be published; however, we will do our best to respond to all questions submitted.

NUMBERS

400

The average number of times a child laughs a day.

13 MILLION

The weight in pounds of the tallest snowman.

3,000

The speed in mph a crack travels when glass breaks.

200,000

The number of glasses of milk a cow produces in her lifetime.

33

The percentage of dog owners who say they’ve talked to their pet on the phone.

21

The number of years summer lasts on Uranus.

Helping Livingston County Students find success in a small, creative learning environment for 25 years.

SCHOOLS

A small public school option in Livingston County. Now enrolling grades 6-12. www.kwoods.org