By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Excess screen time harms children and adolescents’ social skills, but it also affects their behavior similarly to dementia, presenting as distractibility and memory deficit. To help combat this, an extension expert says parents should limit screen time, encourage children’s off-screen interests and closely monitor online activities.
Brittney Schrick, extension associate professor and family life specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said junior high and high school students are expected to manage study materials in a way that is not developmentally appropriate.
“They’re being expected to constantly multi-task in way that’s not really even possible for adults, but especially not for a developing brain,” Schrick said. “They’re learning that that’s how you function in the world, and then the same adults who are asking them to do these things get frustrated when they get distracted.”
For example, if a student is working on algebra homework, they may be using a paper worksheet, but their textbook is an eBook, so they have that open in a browser for reference. Often, they use their phone as a calculator, and they are using another internet tab to review their teacher’s notes. Then, the moment a notification pops up on their phone, the distraction loop begins.
No going back
“Unless you’re somebody who has an excellent ability to delay gratification, or you are exceptionally strong-willed for a kid, you’re going to go check that notification, and then scroll on your phone,” Schrick said. “There’s no scenario in which we can ‘go back’ to the old ways. All the money that used to be spent on textbooks is now being spent on eBooks and other programs. But it’s not developmentally appropriate for kids to manage things that way.”
Schrick said that in addition to phone and screen use eating up time that children used to spend outside, doing physical activity or socializing with friends, the impact is “even deeper than that.”
“A lot of the effects of screen time look similar to the effects of dementia, at least behaviorally,” Schrick said. “This presents as distractibility, executive function loss, or lack of executive function development, and memory deficit, especially short term and working memory.”
According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control over a two-and-a-half-year period, approximately one half of teenagers had four or more hours of daily screen time, and these youth were more likely to recently experience a higher rate of anxiety or depression.
Related to schoolwork, Schrick said students are “missing out on aspects of memorization, such as their multiplication tables, and improving handwriting, making sure that you can communicate in more than one way.”
“It’s just like anything else: there are pros and cons, but we do have to acknowledge that it’s not going anywhere,” Schrick said. “If parents are able to at least provide encouragement and opportunities for their kids to explore academic topics or their own curiosity about different things without it being entirely on a screen, they’re probably going to be doing more good for them than they realize.”
Schrick said it’s important for parents to actively engage with their kids, including while they are using their devices.
“You don’t necessarily have to wrestle it from their hands, but ask them about what they’re watching or doing,” she said. “Find out what they’re playing in Roblox, or what they’re building in Minecraft. Who is this influencer, and what are they talking about? That way, you’re going to get a window into what they’re doing.”
Implementing changes, modeling good behavior
For parents with younger children who want to raise them away from screens as much as possible, Schrick said implementing this lifestyle as early as possible is key.
“It is much easier to start out that way than it is to take it away,” she said. “If you already have a lifestyle as a family that really lends itself to having limited access to screens, it’s going to be simpler.”
Schrick said it is critical for parents to model healthy screen and phone use.
“You have to do it. If you are sitting there on your phone telling your kids to get off their phones, what’s the point?” she said. “Modeling is absolutely crucial, and that includes alternate activities. What else are you going to be doing in the time you are not spending on your phone?
“By doing this, you are teaching kids how to spend their time,” Schrick said. “If you want them to spend their time in other ways that being on screens, you need to teach them to do that.”
For parents with older children who want to intervene and change their access to screens and phone habits, it’s important for both parents — or both households, if families are co-parenting — to first be on the same page about their own expectations and values.
“Parents need to have that conversation with each other when they are both calm, because if you try to talk about it when somebody is mad, or is saying ‘See, I told you this was going to happen!’ then it’s going to go badly,” Schrick said. “It will end up being a power struggle, not only with the kids but between the grownups.”
In addition to approaching the change as a united front, parents should be prepared for pushback from the child — stick to it anyway, Schrick said.
“It takes work to implement such a big change,” Schrick said. “You have to maintain it consistently, and you have to be willing to revise your plan if something doesn’t work. You can’t give up after the first bump in the road. It takes persistence, insistence, and determination. You have to be willing to stay firm and strong about it.”
Use available parental tools, resources
Schrick said the Cooperative Extension Service plans to launch a new program for parents, Smart Phone Smarts, over the next year. In the meantime, she suggested the program Wait Until 8th, which encourages parents to wait until after eighth grade to give their child a smartphone. The program includes educational resources and guides for recruiting other families to delay the smartphone.
Schrick also recommended using parental controls whenever they are available, including options such as setting screen limits on certain apps or setting up devices to only be used during certain hours of the day.
“It also comes down to building a trusting relationship with your kids and being somebody who they feel comfortable coming and talking to, and to where they feel a little guilty about going behind your back,” Schrick said.
For more extension family life resources, visit thePersonal & Family Well-Being page on the Cooperative Extension Service website or contact Schrick at bschrick@uada.edu.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
