Jim Liebelt's Youth Culture Watch

Parents' Excessive Smartphone Use Could Harm Children's Mental Health

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

A child at the dinner table talks about trouble at school or an argument with a friend, but parents aren't listening: They're checking their smartphones instead.

It's a scenario that plays out millions of times per day across America, and it could be harming the mental health of children, a new study suggests.

Kids ages 9 to 11 who said their parents spent way too much on their smartphones were more prone to anxiety, attention issues and hyperactivity later on compared to the youngsters of parents who weren't phone-obsessed, Canadian researchers report.

"When children's emotional and physical needs are consistently ignored or inappropriately responded to, they are at risk of developing mental health difficulties," explained a team led by Sheri Madigan, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Calgary in Alberta.

Her team published their findings in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The researchers looked at data from more than a thousand Canadian children ages 9 to 11, provided at multiple points between 2020 and early 2022. Kids were asked how much they agreed with statements such as "I wish my parent would spend less time on their phone and other devices" or "I get frustrated with my parent for being on their phone or other devices when we're spending time together."

The children were also assessed for various mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and inattention that developed over time.

According to Madigan's team, "higher levels of [child] anxiety symptoms were associated with higher levels of perceived parental technoference later in development."

According to the new data, it appears that having more anxious kids can push harried parents to use their smartphones more, but that excessive parental smartphone use could encourage inattention and hyperactivity in developing adolescents.

Overall, the study "highlights the complex relations between parental technoference and emerging adolescents' mental health," Madigan's team said.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-parents-excessive-smartphone-children-mental.html

Survey: The Average Child Leaves 21 Percent of Their School Lunch Uneaten

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

In a revealing new survey, American parents are shedding light on the complexities of packing school lunches and the creative lengths they go to ensure their children eat nutritiously. The poll of 2,000 parents with school-aged kids unveils some startling statistics about the modern school lunch experience and parental strategies for promoting healthy eating habits.

One of the most striking findings is that nearly a third of parents (29%) admit to eating their children’s uneaten lunch leftovers for dinner. This resourceful approach comes as parents estimate that, on average, 21 percent of their child’s lunch returns home uneaten each day.

While 43 percent of parents believe today’s school lunches are healthier than those of their own childhood, and 28 percent note increased variety, the classic sandwich (61%), chips (56%), and juice (52%) combination remains the most popular lunch option.

Parental guilt plays a significant role in lunch-packing decisions, with 60 percent of respondents feeling remorseful when opting for easy, less healthy options due to time constraints (20%) or their child’s pickiness (21%). This guilt has led to some extreme measures, with 79 percent of parents reporting they’ve gone to dramatic lengths to keep unhealthy foods away from their children. These tactics include avoiding certain foods at the store (30%), hiding them (18%), and even telling white lies (13%).

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/average-child-leaves-21-of-their-school-lunch-uneaten/

Parents Who Use Humor Have Better Relationships With Their Children

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

They say that laughter is the best medicine, but it could be a good parenting tool, too, according to a new study led by researchers from Penn State.

In a pilot study, the research team found that most people viewed humor as an effective parenting tool and that a parent or caregiver's use of humor affected the quality of their relationship with their children. Among those whose parents used humor, the majority viewed their relationship with their parents and the way they were parented in a positive light. The researchers published their findings in the journal PLOS One.

"Humor can teach people cognitive flexibility, relieve stress, and promote creative problem solving and resilience," said Benjamin Levi, professor of pediatrics and humanities at Penn State College of Medicine and senior author of the study. "My father used humor and it was very effective. I use humor in my clinical practice and with my own children. The question became, how does one constructively use humor?"

Researchers surveyed 312 people between the ages of 18 and 45. More than half said they were raised by people who used humor and 71.8% agreed that humor can be an effective parenting tool. The majority said they do or plan to use humor with their children and believe that it has more potential benefit than harm.

The team also found a correlation between a parent's use of humor and the way their children, who are now adults, viewed the way they were parented and their relationship with their parents. Of those who reported that their parents used humor, 50.5% said they had a good relationship with their parents and 44.2% reported they felt their parents did a good job parenting them. On the other hand, of those who said their parents didn't use humor, only 2.9% reported a good relationship with their parents and 3.6% reported that they thought their parents did a good job parenting them.

While it's not surprising that parents would use humor with their children if they were raised by caregivers who did the same, Levi said the stark differences between the two groups was unexpected.

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240812123148.htm

Desperate Parents Considering Dumpster Diving and Theft to Afford Their Kids’ School Supplies

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

How are families faring in the U.S. economy this year? A concerning new poll finds that the answer could be summed up in one word — desperation. Three in four parents say they would try “any” workaround they could find to save some money on school supplies for their children—with some even dumpster diving and stealing from work!

A survey of 2,000 U.S. parents of elementary school kids found 77% believe staying under their budget is a top priority for them. The top resources parents have used to keep their back-to-school shopping under control include purchasing school supplies whenever they go on sale, even after back-to-school season (49%), and shopping at multiple stores for the best deals (45%).

The survey also revealed that many others said they’d also try to save money by even wilder means. These desperate parents would try hoarding school supplies throughout the year (37%), shopping exclusively when there’s a deal (34%), extreme couponing (22%), looking for half-used items around the home (16%),  joining buy-nothing groups on social media (10%), trading supplies with other parents (9%), and dumpster diving (5%). Another 12% admitted to stealing supplies from their workplace so their kids could use them as school supplies.

While two in three parents reported feeling prepared for back-to-school shopping this year, the results also found 82% believe the cost of supplies has increased in the past year, especially for clothing (59%), shoes (51%), backpacks (50%), and school uniforms (26%).

On average, parents anticipate spending $280 on supplies this year.

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/desperate-parents-school-supplies/

Frequent House Moves Take Lifetime Toll on Kids' Mental Health

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

Kids whose families frequently move have a significantly higher risk of depression later in life, a new study warns.

Children who move once between the ages of 10 and 15 are 41% more likely to be diagnosed with depression in adulthood compared with those whose families don’t move, researchers found.

And kids who move twice or more at that age are 61% more likely to develop depression, results.

By comparison, kids who live in a poor neighborhood are 10% more likely to develop depression as adults, researchers noted.

The results suggest that a settled home environment during childhood is crucial to protecting children against future mental health problems.

“We know there are a number of factors which lead to a person being diagnosed with a mental illness,” said lead researcher Clive Sabel, a professor with the University of Plymouth in the U.K. “However, this is the first evidence to suggest that moving to a new neighborhood during childhood is among them, and we believe the numbers we are seeing could be the tip of the iceberg.”

For the study, researchers tracked nearly 1.1 million people born in Denmark between 1981 and 2001, comparing their changes of address while young to any subsequent mood disorders or mental health problems.

Researchers said they’d expect similar outcomes in other parts of the world, particularly among groups of children like foster kids and Army brats.

The new study was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Source: HealthDay
https://www.healthday.com/health-news/mental-health/frequent-house-moves-take-lifetime-toll-on-kids-mental-health

Survey Shows Teens Need More Support Than They Get

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

As millions of American teens continue to struggle with their mental health, a new survey reveals a sizable gap between how much support teens say they get and how much support their parents think they are getting.

In the report, published Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics, just over a quarter of teens said they always get the social and emotional support they need while parents were nearly three times more likely to think they did.

“This suggests a systematic bias where parents consistently report higher levels of social and emotional support compared with their teenager’s perception, and in doing so may underestimate their teenager’s perceived need for social and emotional support,” the study authors wrote.

The findings were based on nationally representative surveys of nearly 1,200 children ages 12 to 17 and their parents, conducted in 2021 and 2022.

Overall, 93% of parents thought their children always or usually had the social and emotional support they need, but only about 59% of teens felt that was true. Instead, 20% of teens said that they rarely or never had the support they need, compared with only about 3% of parents who thought the same.

Even more troubling, teens who didn't feel they always or usually had the support they need were significantly more likely to report poor health problems than those who did feel supported.

Depression and anxiety were nearly three times more common among teenagers who did not feel emotionally supported than among those who did; nearly a third of those who did not feel supported reported symptoms, according to the new study.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of teens who did not feel supported said they got poor sleep, compared with about a third of those who did feel supported. And nearly 14% of teens who did not feel supported said that they had poor health or low life satisfaction, compared with less than 5% of those who did feel supported.

Source: HealthDay
https://www.healthday.com/health-news/child-health/parents-take-note-survey-shows-teens-need-more-support-than-they-get

The No-Phone Childhood Movement

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by Axios.

Parents around the globe are banding together to keep their kids away from smartphones.

Why it matters: Study after study has detailed the stress and anxiety kids and teens deal with as a result of smartphone and social media use.

Zoom in: An organization in the U.S. called "Wait Until 8th" is gaining traction. The group offers a playbook to communities of parents who want to sign pledges to hold off on getting their kids smartphones until at least eighth grade. Similar groups of parents are being formed in other countries.

The bottom line: It's hard to avoid buying preteens and teens smartphones when all of their classmates and neighborhood friends are getting and using them. Parents say acting collectively makes it far easier to say no.

Source: Axios
https://www.axios.com/2024/06/25/no-smartphone-teen-childhood-pledge

Bedtime Battles: 1 in 4 Parents Say Their Child Can't Go to Sleep Because They're Worried or Anxious

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

Many bedtime battles stem from children's after-dark worries, suggests a new national poll.

And while most families have bedtime rituals to help their little ones ease into nighttime, many rely on strategies that may increase sleep challenges long term, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

Overall, one in four parents describe getting their young child to bed as difficult -- and these parents are less likely to have a bedtime routine, more likely to leave on a video or TV show, and more likely to stay with their child until they're asleep.

"Our report reinforces the common struggle of getting young children to sleep. When this transition to bedtime becomes a nightly conflict, some parents may fall into habits that work in the moment but could set them up for more sleep issues down the road," said Mott Poll co-director Sarah Clark, M.P.H.

"Establishing a consistent bedtime routine is crucial. When children don't get enough rest, it can impact their physical development, emotional regulation, and behavior."

Nearly one in five parents say they have given their kids melatonin to help with sleep while a third stay in the room until their child completely dozes off, according to the nationally representative poll that includes responses from 781 parents of children ages one to six surveyed in February.

Parents share common reasons behind bedtime struggles, with nearly a quarter saying their child's sleep is often or occasionally delayed due to being worried or anxious.

Most parents polled report having a bedtime routine for their child, often including brushing teeth, reading bedtime stories and/or bathing. Less than half also say their child has a drink of water or snack, turns off devices, prays and talks about their day.

Not only does having a consistent bedtime routine help make the nighttime transition smoother, Clark says, it also provides one-on-one time, allowing the child to get their parent's full attention.

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240617173714.htm

Study Links Household Chaos with Sleep Quality Among Teens with ADHD Symptoms

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found that household chaos and sleep hygiene are important factors in the relationship between sleep quality and ADHD symptoms in teens.

Results of structural equation modeling show that household chaos and sleep hygiene were significant mediators of the relationship between ADHD symptoms and poor sleep quality. The results suggest that improving the daily routine and stability of the household is an important strategy to consider when seeking to improve sleep quality in adolescents with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

"These results begin to explicate some contextual factors that may help explain the increase in sleep difficulties observed in youth with higher symptoms of ADHD," said lead author and co-principal investigator Jamie Flannery, who is a doctoral candidate in developmental psychology at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

"It suggests that when ADHD symptoms are high, aspects of the individual—poor sleep hygiene—and the familial environment—household chaos—are associated with poor sleep quality in adolescents."

The researchers collected data from 259 pairs of mothers and adolescents from across the U.S. Mothers used a scale to rate the severity of their adolescent's ADHD symptoms, while adolescents completed three separate surveys about sleep quality, home environment and sleep hygiene.

The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Monday, June 3, during SLEEP 2024 in Houston.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-links-household-chaos-quality-teens.html

Close-knit Family, Community Key to Teens Delaying Sex

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

Teenagers who are part of close-knit neighborhoods and families are less likely to have sex at a young age, a new study has found.

On the other hand, teens’ schools have less influence on their sexual behavior, researchers report.

“Our results echo other studies’ findings on the importance of families and neighborhoods in protecting youth from risky behaviors, and show that feeling connected to one’s local community can mitigate sexual risky behaviors,” said lead researcher Dr. Camila Cribb Fabersunne, a pediatrician with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Teens whose parents restricted their dating were 55% less likely to have sex by 10^th grade, results showed.

So were kids who spend less time alone when home (8% less likely), and who had tight-knit families (7% less likely).

Teenagers from close-knit neighborhoods were 10% less likely to have sex by 10^th grade, results show.

However, no school factors were associated with delaying sex until later in high school, researchers found.

This is the first known study to evaluate how children’s social connections can affect their sexual behavior, Cribb Fabersunne said.

The results, published June 4 in the Journal of Adolescent Health, show that school-provided messages and education about sexual behavior have little impact, Cribb Fabersunne said.

Instead, public health officials should focus resources on strategies involving families and neighborhoods, like establishing community-based health centers for youth and supporting parents in conversations with teenagers around sex.

Source: HealthDay
https://www.healthday.com/health-news/child-health/close-knit-family-community-key-to-teens-delaying-sex