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As children prepare to return to school, two dominant concerns weigh heavily on the minds of their parents: the impact of social media and the internet on their children’s lives. According to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, these concerns have taken precedence, with over half of parents identifying mental health issues as their top worry for their children and teens. This year, the top ten list of parental concerns regarding children’s health in the United States is led by mental health and technology use, surpassing childhood obesity, which had held the top spot a decade ago.
Mott Poll co-director and pediatrician Susan Woolford, M.D., M.P.H., noted, “Parents still recognize problems directly impacting physical health, such as unhealthy eating and obesity, as important children’s health issues. However, these concerns have been overshadowed by apprehensions about mental health, social media, and screen time.”
The poll revealed that two-thirds of parents are troubled by the increased time their children spend on devices, encompassing overall screen time and social media usage, ranking as the top two children’s health concerns this year. This trend emerged during the pandemic and underscores the importance of parents regularly assessing their children’s technology usage and considering limitations if they observe signs of unhealthy interactions or behaviors. Certain social media and device settings can also assist in safeguarding children.
Mental and emotional health issues remain at the forefront of parental concerns, with a majority of parents expressing worry about depression, suicide, stress, anxiety, bullying, and related topics. Additionally, nearly half of parents are concerned about the insufficient availability of mental health services for children.
Woolford emphasized the significant mismatch between the growing number of youth experiencing mental health issues and the limited access to mental health services, highlighting the potential ramifications for children’s well-being.
School violence also emerged as a significant concern, potentially influenced by direct experiences with school-related violence, media coverage, and changes to school environments. Woolford suggested that parents should engage in age-appropriate conversations with their children about school safety, while also managing their own stress and anxiety.
Interestingly, parents’ concerns varied based on their income levels. Low-income households expressed more significant concerns about various children’s health issues, including depression, suicide, bullying, school violence, unsafe neighborhoods, substance use, teen pregnancy, child abuse, discrimination, COVID-19, and pollution-related health risks. In contrast, middle and high-income parents were more likely to view overuse of devices and social media as significant problems.
Woolford noted that these differences may stem from daily experiences related to environmental challenges and discrimination faced by children from low-income households. Nonetheless, parents across income groups shared similar concerns about topics such as unhealthy diets, obesity, healthcare costs, and the lack of mental health services.
Just outside the top 10 children’s health concerns were issues like obesity, guns/gun injuries, poverty, substance use, child abuse/neglect, unequal access to healthcare, parental stress, misleading health information, teen pregnancy/sexual activity, discrimination, unsafe neighborhoods, LGBTQ+ issues, and health risks from polluted water and air. The safety of vaccines, overinvolved parents, and COVID-19 were at the bottom of the list.
In conclusion, as children navigate changing educational environments and technology landscapes, parents are encouraged to collaborate with schools, mentors, and healthcare providers to address both ongoing and emerging health concerns. Regular conversations with children and teenagers are crucial to encourage them to share any physical or emotional concerns they may be facing.
