Helping Teens Overcome Anxiety in a Digital Age

As Christian therapists in Fort Worth, we see lots of issues people are facing and we are on the front lines of it as licensed therapists. One of the issues gaining more attention today is smartphone addiction. I have had many people that I have counseled that the thing they were most resistant was the thought of being without their cell phone for a couple of hours. They rely on their mobile phone for everything in their daily life and it might have become their primary attachment figure. Being without it can produce physical symptoms of discomfort similar to someone with cell phone addiction.

If adults can feel this way about their cell phones, then imagine what teens are feeling when everything is done online and there are countless smartphone activities their friends are on. In Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, Haidt provides staggering statistics and data on how mobile phones, social media, and screen time are shaping kids. He has had many public speaking engagements to share about his findings.

Anxiety in Teenagers: Play-Based vs Phone Based Childhood

Haidt tells us that teens spend "6 to 8 hours a per day--are what teens spend on all screen-based leisure activities" (Ibid, p. 119). That's over two full days a week on screen for kids. Children and teens are more "phone-based" vs "play-based" as Haidt puts it. Play-based teenagers have a social life where they are spending more time with others in daily activities like team sports, religious groups, and school play. In contrast, phone-based teens are on social media and thus have less social interactions with others in social activity.

Haidt explains that teens who are heavily engaged in social media are more likely to struggle with "depression, anxiety, and other disorders, while teens who spend more time with group of young people have better mental health" (p. 121). This makes sense, considering how excessive smartphones use has a negative impact by cutting off time with others in social situations in everyday life. Teens with high screen time will have more social anxiety due to not developing the skills through social interactions and physical activity with others.

Anxiety in Teenagers: Screen Time and Sleep Deprivation

Sleep is essential for teen development. Sleep-deprived teenagers are not able to "concentrate, focus, or remember as well as teens who get sufficient sleep" (p. 123). Haidt draws a clear connection between "high social media use and poor sleep"(p. 123). Getting better sleep is the number one recommendation for any mental health issues. With smartphone activity that is highly stimulating, it can be hard for teens to get needed sleep which can result in more excessive teen anxiety and panic attacks thus providing a lower response rates in school.

Anxious Teens: Screen Time and Anxiety in Girls

Haidt tells us that one of the reasons teen girls are more vulnerable to the negative impacts of mobile phones. He explains that "Girls are more affected by visual social comparison and perfectionism" (p. 153). Teen girls are faced with the reality of constant judgment of their bodies and looks when on social media. This is why you see the recent cultivation of beauty filters due to the anxiety in teens.

Teen girls are more vulnerable to what Haidt describes as "socially prescribed perfectionism"--the pressure to live up to very high standards imposed by others (p. 156). This leads to anxiety in girls that can lead to social phobia or school refusal as they are comparing their social networks and peer setting from perfectionistic standards. This type of standard put on yourself can lead to all type of anxiety in teens: generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic attacks, separation anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other anxiety symptoms.

What's Next: Christianity, Smartphone Addiction, and Teen Child

Haidt's research points to a clear conclusion: smartphones are contributing to rising anxiety levels among children. It isn't surprising that he recommends delaying social media, smartphones, and lots of screen time until teens prefrontal cortex have developed more (p. 285).

As Christian parents of kids, we are called to raise our children in way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). This means protecting them known harms among youth that are being revealed like excessive smartphone use. Household maintenance might be required of us to tend to them well. This will no doubt mean that we will have to model it ourselves and ask for Jesus and his people's help!

While we can't control everything, but we can shield our children from addiction behaviours and anxiety. This will also entail not only helping shield them from things that have a negative impact, but also helping them find ways to have healthy socially interact that has a positive impact. Haidt does dedicate an entire chapter on how communities can bond together to help with this issue. Maybe Christians should take the charge.

If your teen (13 and up) is suffering from anxiety like social phobia, panic attacks, separation anxiety, avoidant disorders, or other anxiety disorders due to social media and screen time please reach out to us. We're here to help.

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