Ep. 48 - The Screen Time Debate: Finding a Healthy Balance for Child Development

Today we speak about how social media use impacts teens and preteens development and mental health. We discuss the more nuanced research on screen time with this group delving into how screen time alone does not tell the whole story, and the potential risks as well as benefits of social media. Similar to discussions we have had on other types of research, we also delve more into the role of individual differences in the impacts of social media on mood and other outcomes, and the importance of mindfulness around how social media impacts’ oneself and mental well being. Additionally, we discuss limit setting around phone usage and how to engage one’s child in the process. We also touch on Dr Nesi’s current research looking at emotional regulation and phone usage, and the role of social media in our own lives as moms. Dr. Nesi is an Assistant Professor at Brown University, where she studies how technology use affects teenagers and how parents can help. She got her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Harvard University, and her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research has been funded by organizations like the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). She regularly speaks at conferences, trainings, schools, and organizations. To learn more about her please see links below.  Twitter  |  Google Scholar  |  ResearchGate  |  LinkedIn  |  Researchers@Brown  |  Contact Me