In 2021, increased screen time was ranked as one of the top three negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time, the screen time of teenagers more than doubled from the 2019 numbers, increasing from 3.8 hours per day to 7.7 hours per day the following year, not including screen time necessary for activities like schoolwork or listening to music.

Studies also show that a shocking 50% of teens claim to feel addicted to their phones, and an alarming 72% feel the need to immediately check notifications and messages that they may receive.

Social Media and Screen Usage

This increase in social media and screen usage has led to further detrimental experiences among teenagers in the realm of mental health and bullying. It has been reported that adolescents who use social media more than 3 hours per day are at a heightened risk of mental health issues and other negative side effects such as self-esteem issues, diminished body image, or feelings of isolation and loneliness, or even cyberbullying.

For younger children, medical health experts also advise on special restrictions for toddlers ages 18-24 months, and another set of rules for children ages 2-5.

Unregulated Content

Another significant issue with younger people beginning to use social media more often is the accidental exposure to inappropriate content that is unregulated on the internet. On average, children are first exposed to pornography at age 11, while in general, 34% of internet users have experienced unwanted exposure to this type of content while online.

This early exposure can be harmful, as it normalizes unsafe behavior and possible violence, as well as opens the door to the dangerous world of child pornography and sexual abuse. In a shocking 77% increase in just one year, one third of reported child sexual abuse material was self-generated, with 80% of that content coming from 11 to 13 year old girls.

Online Safety for Children

Most parents are worried about their child’s safety online, and support the initiative to create an online environment that is more safe for them and their families. 40% of accidental exposure to inappropriate sexual content online was found by innocently entering simple search phrases into unregulated search engines.

In addition, many young children are exposed to violence prematurely through video games or video content meant for adults. It is not difficult to bypass age verification systems on websites and games, and many of these activities require communication with strangers who are often much older than the child playing.

Guidelines and Limits

Establishing ground rules, good digital habits, enabling parental controls, and keeping an open line of communication with the child are all effective strategies to ensure that minors have a safe and positive experience when using the internet.

Read how parenting styles influence playtime activities offline to help reduce screen time play.

It has been found that the majority of young teens feel more comfortable when their parents use control software to keep them safe online. As the internet and social media continue to develop, there are many options and strategies for families to ensure that their children are having nothing but positive experiences online.

Check out this Infographic of what unlimited screen time can do to kids:

It’s never too early to teach internet safety. Children of every age need to be guided and given boundaries online, including even the youngest family members. Review this internet safety checklist for preschoolers.

Have you ever noticed that children who participate in multiplayer online video games have their own language? They have their internal jokes as well. Many children will like this distinct culture. However, it might be difficult for children who struggle with social skills.

When playing a video game with other kids, these youngsters may have the same issues in actual social interactions. Continue reading to find out how to guide your youngster through internet video games.

Multiplayer online video game culture

Culture refers to a group’s shared habits, language, and values. For example, sports lovers divide the year into seasons based on their favorite sport: football in the fall and baseball in the spring. They are devoted to their teams and may binge-watch on holidays or days when many games are scheduled. They have their slang terms, such as GOAT (greatest of all time).

Kids playing multiplayer online video games similarly have a common culture. Summer is the season for heavy playing. Throughout the year, gamers pay attention to seasonal events. They also have their vocabularies, such as noob (new or bad player) and skin (the way a player looks in a game).

However, there is a significant gap between sports and video gaming cultures. The majority of sports enthusiasts are spectators. While it is becoming more popular to watch people play video games, most gamers are active players who participate. They observe what other players are doing and how they are acting in the game. As a result, they can bully, criticize, and exclude children, just as in the real world.

As a result, children with social skill issues may have the same negative experiences online as in real life. And most of the time, their parents are completely oblivious of what is going on.

Different types of online video games

In the United States, millions of children play video games. On the other hand, parents and caregivers have less or no familiarity with gaming than with school or sports cultures. Everyone has gone to school. Not every parent has played Call of Duty or other online shooting game.

Interaction with people is not required in all video games. On the other hand, Multiplayer online video games like Minecraft and Fortnite are among the most popular. Such games are where the distinctive characteristics of video game culture emerge since kids connect online.

Role-playing is prevalent in several of these games. Children typically take on the role of a character with unique abilities and proceed through a storyline. Some games, although not all, are centered on an adventure.

Multiplayer online games include one or more of the following characteristics:

• Action-oriented: To win or get points, kids must fight, jump, dance, or do other activities throughout the game. From first-person shooter games to arcade games, this broad genre includes everything.
• Cooperative: Children work together to attain a common objective. Kids compete against one another as they play. Fortnite Battle Royale is a competitive game where participants (typically around 100) compete to be the last one standing.

Minecraft, for example, is a sandbox game incorporating cooperative and action features.

Stumbling blocks for children who struggle with social skills

Video games have a lot of advantages for youngsters who have social skills issues. Games may be a lifesaver for youngsters who struggle to connect with their classmates in real life. A gaming hobby can lead to online friendships, but it can also lead to real-life friendships.

Simultaneously, gaming culture may be extremely difficult for children who have difficulty interacting with others. Here are a few of the most common stumbling blocks and how to assist your child in overcoming them.

Trolling

For entertainment, some gamers may harass or antagonize other players. Trolling or cyberbullying is generally anonymous and unpredictable, and it occurs without notice. It may be quite distressing for children.

What you can do: If you discover that your kid is being harassed, you must take the game away from them as soon as possible. Trolls thrive on being seen. If your child fights back in the game, they may encourage further trolling. Most games offer a feature where your youngster may report a trolling gamer. Encourage your youngster to write a report in case of an issue.

Trash-talking

In multiplayer video games, damaging remarks and trash-talking from teammates and opponents are common. Sometimes taunting is lighthearted and harmless. Other times, even between friends, it turns downright unpleasant.

What you’ll need to do: If your child has problems regulating their emotions, it’s critical to establish a clear rule prohibiting them from playing with trash-talking children. Even if they are unintentional, negative comments can significantly influence your child.

Online anonymity

Being anonymous might encourage teenagers to act in ways they might not with known people. Since no one recognizes who they are, they may be cruel. This is particularly true if they are aggressive.

What you can do to help: As a virtual playdate, encourage your youngster to play games with real-life pals. Another alternative is to find a gaming community that focuses on family-friendly games.

Complex social rules

Each game has its own set of social interaction guidelines. In games, just like in real life, social rules are generally not written. They may be difficult for children to comprehend. Other players may become enraged and offended as a result of their actions.

What may be done to help:

1. Learn about the game’s nature, whether it’s cooperative or competitive. You might even need to play the game yourself a few times.
2. Assist your youngster in understanding the social rules.
3. Try to keep your youngster focused on one game for a time so that they may learn what is proper.

Hyper competition

A competitive environment is encouraged by most video game creators as a commercial tactic to keep a game popular. This might be difficult for children who struggle with impulsivity and self-control. If they’re having trouble in the game, they could grow irritable and upset.

What you can do: Remind your youngster that a game is simply a game if they aren’t as good as other children. Assist your youngster in recognizing their other skills.

Benefits of Playing video games

Significant research on the negative impacts of gaming, such as addiction, depression, and aggressiveness, has already been published for decades. We are not arguing that you should disregard it. However, a more balanced viewpoint is required to comprehend the influence of video games on the development of children and adolescents.

According to multiple studies, one general belief is that video gaming is intellectually lazy. However, such activity strengthens a range of cognitive abilities such as spatial navigation, logic, memory, and perception. According to the study’s authors, this is especially true for violent shooter video games. As per a 2013 meta-analysis, participating in shooting games improved the player’s ability to think in three dimensions, and academic courses focused on boosting the same skills.

The previous study has shown the importance of spatial abilities for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Therefore this has significant implications for education and career development. Other sorts of video games, such as puzzles or role-playing games, do not induce similar improved thinking.

Playing video games may also help in developing problem-solving skills in youngsters. The more sophisticated video games, such as role playing games that teenagers reported playing, the more their problem solving and school grades improved the following year. Other studies found that playing video games, even violent games, increased children’s creativity.

Simple games, such as “Angry Birds,” which are easy to obtain and play, can boost players’ emotions, induce relaxation, and reduce anxiety. On the other hand, video games are good instruments for teaching failure resilience. Children develop emotional stability in their everyday lives by learning to cope with repeated failures in games.

Benefits for socially challenged children

The socially isolated gamer is another myth that the study debunks. According to the report, more than 70% of gamers play with a partner. Millions of people worldwide participate in enormous virtual worlds through video games like “Farmville” and “World of Warcraft.” Multiplayer games develop into virtual social groups. When this happens, players are required to make rapid judgments to decide who they can trust and reject and how to manage a group.

Children who play cooperative video games, even if they are violent, are more helpful in the long run to others while gaming than those who play competitively.

ADHD therapy: A prescription for gaming?

Studies have identified a technique to transform video games into therapeutic treatment. The FDA has chosen the first non-drug solution to assist children aged 8 to 12 years old having inattentive or combined-type attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is a prescription therapy that should not be used in place of other forms of ADHD treatment, medicine, or educational materials recommended by your doctor.

According to five studies examining over 600 youngsters, the game-based digital gadget strengthened attention. Even though it is a prescription, it is no longer covered by health insurance. It costs $450 for a three-month prescription. For families who cannot afford it, the companies may be able to assist them.

How Virtual Violence Impacts Children’s Behavior

Because science and common sense don’t often agree, it’s doubly rewarding when they do. When it comes to children’s exposure to violent media, science backs up what we already know. What they watch and play affects how they act. Not only does it affect their behavior, but unhealthy gaming also impacts their overall health.

Children exposed to greater violence in their virtual worlds—television, movies, and video games—are more likely to have violent thoughts, aggressive conduct, and angry sentiments in real life.

I believe most people would accept that whatever we do to minimize this violent conduct is worthwhile.

• Try to minimize your children’s exposure to violent content if they are under the age of six. Children at this age cannot discriminate between fiction and reality. Even cartoon violence affects their perceptions of reality.

• Learn everything you can about the content that your kids watch. Take a look at the available industry and Nonprofit ratings. Allow those ratings to assist you in deciding and filtering out what you cannot allow in your home. Remember that a child’s weakest argument is “all my friends are permitted to watch it.” Take a seat and play with your kids. You’ll have a better grasp of an essential aspect of their life and have the opportunity to include an adult viewpoint on what they’re viewing. You’ll undoubtedly have opportunities to discuss and explain your family’s values.

• Examine your children’s games to see what they’re teaching them. Is violence becoming prevalent? Funny? Racist? Are users rewarded with money or status? Or are the severe, long-term effects of violence shown dramatically? You can give children a more realistic view of the effects of violence and the perspective they require.

• Feel free to prevent your children from playing video games that encourage shooting, murdering, or injuring others. Video games may be effective instructors, teaching youngsters how to collaborate and support one another and multitask in specific ways. On the other hand, video games can encourage a sense of perpetual threat and a positive reward for aggressiveness. Violence does not need to be an element of entertainment in the gaming industry because there is so much exciting stuff.

Conclusion

Video games aren’t going away anytime soon. In reality, most experts think that the gaming business will continue to expand – and that it will increasingly target younger children. Make sure you’re participating if your child plays video games, especially multiplayer online games, so that you can assist resolve any issues.

Gaming culture might be complex for children who have difficulty interacting with others. When trolling or trash-talking occurs, it’s critical to shut the video game down immediately. Encourage your youngster to play online video games with their real-world buddies.

People have hoped and prayed for world peace, but no one anticipates aggressiveness or bloodshed to be eradicated from our lives. However, we know that assisting our children in selecting less violent entertainment may significantly impact their behavior for certain children, and that’s a great place to start.

Are you aware of possible dental health issues if wisdom teeth are not removed? Do you know when to take your kids to the orthodontist for wisdom teeth evaluation? Wisdom teeth refer to the third molar you get between 17 and 21 years of age and need to remove them varies in severity.

You might already be aware that most people opt for wisdom teeth removal. That’s because our mouths are too small for four additional molars. But do you know about the symptoms indicating the need for wisdom tooth extraction?

What are the Signs Indicating the Need for Your Child’s Wisdom Teeth Removal?

Not everyone who needs a wisdom teeth extraction will experience particular symptoms. But some most common signs and symptoms of this troublemaker are as follows:-

• Infection and cavities in wisdom teeth and surrounding teeth as they are hard to clean.
• Bad breath coming from the mouth.
• Swelling on the face due to the swelling of the gums at the back of the jaw.
• Gums can also feel tender and bleed sometimes.
• Experiencing trouble in opening mouth.
• Wisdom teeth pain along with pain in the jaw and gums.
• Shifting of other teeth because of the eruption of wisdom teeth.

What if Wisdom Teeth are Not Removed?

Dealing with your teenager’s wisdom teeth is yet another step in the oral care of your child.  The wisdom teeth that create problems due to their abnormal growth are also known as impacted wisdom teeth. Not removing these impacted wisdom teeth may invite various dental issues. Some of them are mentioned below:-

• Damage to Other Teeth: Our mouths are not designed to fit four extra molars. So these growing wisdom teeth can push other teeth around and damage them.
  

• Cyst Development: A sac filled with fluid can develop near the wisdom teeth. It’s quite painful and troubling.
  

• Jaw Damage: If these cysts are not treated, they can hollow the jaw and damage the nerves.
  

• Aggravated Sinus: The pain and pressure of the wisdom teeth may result in congestion and sinus pain.
  

• Tumor Development: Sometimes, a tumor can also develop with cysts around the impacted wisdom teeth.
  

• Inflamed Gums: The development of an extra molar creates a disturbance in gums leading to inflammation and pain in the gums.
  

• Decay of the Adjacent Tooth: The adjacent tooth gets most affected by the third molar as its root gets disturbed due to abnormal eruption of the teeth.
  

• Bacteria and Plaque Build-up: Due to abnormal growth, the wisdom tooth and its adjacent area are difficult to clean. Thus often, plaque and bacteria get accumulated, leading to cavities and tooth infections.

At What Age do Kids Get Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth show up mainly between the ages of 17 and 25. But some kids may experience wisdom teeth pain early, and some may not know they have any third molars or not till they are 30. Therefore it’s crucial to visit your orthodontist for a wisdom teeth evaluation.

What is the Average Age for Wisdom Tooth Extraction?

You can take your teenage kids for wisdom teeth evaluation to the orthodontist between the ages of 16 to 19. If they become older with wisdom teeth, their roots will strengthen. While it’s not a dental emergency, it becomes complicated to remove wisdom teeth in later years.  Therefore, putting it off may cause problems.

Your child can benefit from less lengthy and uncomplicated wisdom tooth extraction if it’s done in their late adolescence. They will also experience a faster recovery from the wisdom teeth removal procedure.

Conclusion

Keep an eye on the symptoms of wisdom teeth eruption in your kids. Earlier sections explained how advantageous an earlier intervention could be for them. Moreover, wisdom tooth extraction is essential for their dental and overall wellbeing.

This procedure is not among the most complicated dental surgeries. An experienced dentist will suggest wisdom teeth removal only when necessary. Sedition is also offered to patients to minimize their anxiety regarding the pain. So there is no reason to hesitate in visiting your dentists for wisdom teeth removal for your kids.

Author Bio:  Dr. Anu Isaac, DMD, runs a successful dental practice in Salem, MA. Dr. Isaac strives for quality on a daily basis and this commitment to quality is reflected in her constant pursuit of advanced training. Her firm belief that even experts need to stay updated about what’s new in the dental field, enables her to provide every patient with optimal oral care. As the founder of Coral Dental Care, she is dedicated to creating healthy, beautiful smiles for her patients and also to educating dental and non-dental communities with her engaging articles on all things related to oral health, recent dental innovations, and latest treatment modalities.

Read about 7 ways to cope with braces as a teenager.

Social media is now part of everyday living.  We check it on the bus when going to work, during lunch breaks, and after school. For many, it is the first thing they check before getting out of bed in the morning. Social media is entrenched into the lives of children as well. It can be difficult for them to break away from it.

Long hours spent on social media could negatively affect a child’s mental health.  Some of these adverse effects include:

Causes Low Self-Esteem in Children and Teens

This is probably the greatest effect of social media on children. On a platform like Instagram, people post pictures while having fun, show off their new homes, their perfect parents who take them on vacations abroad, etc. This can make a child still in the emotional development stage compare what they see on social media and their lives. Teenagers also use social media to bully, send negative pictures and exert peer pressure on their schoolmates, which negatively affects the victim’s self-esteem.

1. Anxiety

Many teenagers and adults can feel anxious because of social media. They feel pressured to constantly post perfect photos and equally good posts to accompany the photos. There are unspoken rules in social media that are difficult to keep up with, leading to teenagers experiencing high anxiety levels. Young people view a lot of content on what their idols, peers, and friends are doing, making them feel left out. If they post something on social media and it does not get enough comments and likes as their friends, they may feel anxious and inadequate.

This can be a problem for young adults having anxiety issues because social media can exacerbate the problem. Girls feel anxious online as they are susceptible to worrying about how they look and be negatively affected by slut-shaming and cyberbullying.

2. Sleep Issues

Social media is addictive, and teenagers and children can talk with their friends and get caught up in posting for long periods. This can affect their sleep quality and sleeping patterns, impacting their mental health. Lack of sleep can affect a young adult in many ways. They may drop their grades, get moody and tired during the day, and have difficulty concentrating in class.

Also, increased screen time is associated with attention hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, which include emotional regulation, poor attention span, and sleeping problems. A teenager’s brain is still developing, and they require at least eight hours of quality sleep every night. Prolonged use of social media can affect both the quality of sleep and the amount of sleep, worsening mental health condition symptoms, including anxiety and depression.

3. Reduced Physical Activity

Increased screen time leads to less physical activity. Teenagers and children spend a lot of time online and less time taking part in active play. Furthermore, people drink and eat carelessly while playing an online game or watching TV, which packs more calories on their bodies leading to weight gain. Lack of physical activity and obesity leads to numerous health problems, including depression, respiratory issues, heart diseases, and diabetes.

How to Lessen the Effects of Social Media on Children’s Mental Health

• Talk about social media. Talk to your child about the effects of social media and gauge how they feel about it. Do they like it, or does it make them worried and anxious? Educate your child about social media and help them understand that what goes on social media can have repercussions in real life. If your teen is too far gone into social media, you can enroll them in cognitive behavioral therapy to help them know how their feelings, thoughts, and behavior are related. This will help them identify and change unhelpful thought behaviors and patterns.

• Limit social media use. This can especially work for younger children. Although they may resist at first, the limitations will eventually benefit them.

• Be a role model. As an adult, you should be a good example by putting away your devices at mealtimes, limiting your social media time, and having specific times when you do not touch any technological device. Your child or teen will follow in your footsteps and have an improved relationship with social media.

Encourage your children to get out more by engaging in physical activity yourself. You can also participate in online games that encourage dance and movement, such as yoga and aerobics. All of these ideas combined will help your child form a healthy relationship with social media and create better balance in their lives.

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