Screens, Internet and Media 

In 1981 the IBM PC was introduced, the first Space Shuttle was launched, households had wired telephones and the Atari 2600 was the most popular gaming console. Technology has evolved significantly since then. Personal computers in 1981 had word processors, spreadsheets, accounting software, database, programming applications and yes ,some limited games. What they didn’t have is the Internet and nonstop access to all forms of entertainment. Imagine the productivity gains when the typewriter was invented. But reimagine the typewriter in 1981 such that it had a 25” color television screen that could, in addition to spell check, simultaneously show live and recorded TV programs from hundreds of cable TV channels and allow users to chat with friends all over the world face-to-face. While impressive for 1981, and even if it was an inexpensive add-on, no one would have suggested that typewriters should have such televisions attached. Why? Because it would not make typing faster or better. It would be a distraction.

There are many voices shouting their concerns about excess or inappropriate screen, internet and media use by children. While research is just now emerging, one critical area of concern is the effects of screen time on very small children. Due to lack of evidence, few public health organizations are willing to commit to blanket time limits. At the same time, parents are looking for guidance on the amount of time and the types of content that are safe for their young children. Content for young children has exploded with media content ranging from mindless entertainment to direct product selling to children.  Screens have, beginning with television, been used as a baby sitter for children. However traditionally television was not consumed by very young children. There are developmental considerations why this was so, however today's devices with a wide viewing field when used at short distances changes everything. These devices can capture a child's attention and it is important to know whether this is helpful or harmful to a child's development. Is it helping develop spatial visualization skills or is a two dimension screen problematic? While it is easy to see how children with physical disabilities can benefit from screen time, how does it affect those struggling with neurologically based developmental conditions?  These are questions just now being studied. 

The amount of time children spend on screens for pure entertainment can be problematic for one simple reason - it might compete for time spent on activities that are much more valuable for child development, like outdoor play. While devices might be more convenient and less expensive then having a child participate in a youth soccer league, it is unlikely healthier or more enriching, 

While sexual exploitation of children has been a risk since the dawn of the Internet, with the rapid expansion of Artificial Intelligence, these risks have grown significantly.  While parents must step up to protect and monitor their child's online world, this is becoming a more and more difficult challenge.  Thankfully there are individuals and firms that have stepped up to inform the public, advance legislation and and work with technology companies to develop new software and hardware to mitigate these risks. 
 
PutGenieBack.Org

Problematic and Addictive Video Gaming

On May 20, 1981, George Foulkes, Member of the British Parliament, introduced a bill titled "Control of Space Invaders and Other Electronic Games." In the bill it he stated:

“That is what is happening to our young people. They play truant, miss meals, and give up other normal activity to play "space invaders". They become crazed, with eyes glazed, oblivious to everything around them, as they play the machines. It is difficult to appreciate unless one has seen it for oneself.”

The bill did not pass in the Parliament. In 1989 Margaret A. Shotton released a book entitled Computer Addiction? A Study of computer dependency. One of the earliest books documenting some of the problems of dependency on technology. In her book she chronicled the struggles of some players of a text based Dungeons and Dragons type game played on computer terminals. This was before the Internet. This was before high resolution graphics. This was before 24/7 access to media. This was before powerful gaming systems could fit in our pocket. This was before eSports. This was before a $250Bn videogame industry.

Since 1989 a great deal of research and scientific consideration of problematic videogaming. By 2004 problematic videogaming was reported as the number one problematic computer use seen by mental health professionals in the United States for the age group 11-17 (Woog, 2004). Gaming Disorder has now been officially designated a mental disorder in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 11th editi0n. Although a decade after the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5th edition was released in the United States by the American Psychiatric Association, it remains only a topic for further study. This, despite the fact that individuals struggling with this disorder, just like 20 years ago, are regularly being seen by mental health professionals in the United States.

A more widespread problem than addiction (which affects up to 8.5% of children gamers in the US) is the cost associated with excess gaming. Children, particularly males, are spending an extraordinary amount of time playing video games and that time is taken away from other important life experiences. This results in reduced academic performance, isolation, anxiety, depression and ultimately, "failure to launch".

The nation of China, after dealing with these issues with their youth for decades, has enacted strict laws regarding videogaming and minors. Video games have to be approved by a regulating government agency before they are allowed to be made available in China. After attempting many less restrictive measures, children under the age of 18 now can only play online video games for a maximum of 3 hours per week - 1 hour each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. China provides state run treatment centers for videogame addiction and has long considered this a mental health condition.

Woog, K. (2004) A survey of mental health professionals clinical exposure to problematic computer, (https://putgenieback.org/data/survey.pdf)

Smartphones


Smartphones originally evolved from feature rich business cellular phones from Nokia and others. With the introduction of the iPhone by Apple in 2007 the smartphone industry exploded. Initially only adults had these devices, given their cost, however today in the United States 91% of children have a smartphone by the age of 14. This has become the new normal. So has allowing children to take and use their smartphones at school. We are also learning about the potential harms to children from these devices and applications they deliver. Excess screen time has resulted in sleep issues and the mental health issues related to Social Media use on Smartphones. The topic of the potential danger to children of Social Media use is discussed elsewhere on this site - click here.

A movement has formed to delay smartphone introduction to children. Schools and school districts are studying how to limit their availability at school and in the classroom. This section is intended to provide information and resources regarding this ongoing and growing issue. We appreciate your feedback.

Social Media and Youth


In May of 2023 The US Surgeon General released an advisory, “Social Media and Youth Mental Health”, warning about the serious problems associated with Social Media use .It has been reported (Reihn et al., 2019) that 3 hours of Social Media time each day is associated with a doubling of risk of serious mental health conditions such depression and anxiety. It is also reported that the typical teen spends 3.5 hours of each day on Social Media. Is it a coincidence that the United States has see a dramatic increase in these conditions since the smartphone was introduced.

The understanding of potential harm to youth from social media is just beginning to emerge. Researchers are looking to the types of activities that appear harmful and the activities that are potentially helpful and supportive of young people. While research progresses there appears that the mental health of many has declined as a result of time on social media.

Riehm, K. E., Feder, K. A., Tormohlen, K. N., Crum, R. M., Young, A. S., Green, K. M., Pacek, L. R., La Flair, L. N., & Mojtabai, R. (2019). Associations Between Time Spent Using Social Media and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Among US Youth. JAMA psychiatry, 76(12), 1266–1273.

Childhood Online Sexual Exploitation


Along with the advances of online technology, social media and messaging apps has come the advance of exploitation of children.  This can come in the form of grooming, trickery to expose private contact informati0n, sextortion and more. Children have committed suicide, children have been sexually trafficked, raped and murdered.  Popular videogames have now become a source for pedophiles to target children with private messaging a key tool. Privacy and anonymity have conspired to create a very unsafe world for children and it is getting more and more difficult for parents to keep up.  

Holding the tech companies accountable has been a challenge for legislators and although videogame, social media and AI developers have added parental controls, this is clearly not enough. Fortunately, there are technology companies at the forefront of efforts to keep kids safe online. And also thankfully there are a number of legislators dedicated to this cause and are not giving up.   

Childhood Neglect by Screens


While children's excessive and problematic use of screens has been in public view for some time, only recently have researchers looked to see the impact of parent's excessive and problematic screen time on their children. Stories of a mother losing child custody over screen time neglect and two young South Korean parents allowing their child to die while they left their infant alone while they played videogames for days at an internet café reached the headlines but today the problem, while less acute, is more widespread. Children with screen distracted parents are facing a lack of attachment and connection. We now have a term for this "technoference", where a parent's lack of attending to their child face-to-face leaves the child feeling neglected, abandoned and worthless. Products have emerged to make matters worse. In 2016 a product was introduced through a crowdfunding project that provided a clip to attach to a child's baby bottle. Not so the infant can watch videos, but so the parent can use their phone while bottle feeding their baby. Cell phone holders for baby strollers are available online in every size and shape.. Convenience over connection. 

Resources


Advocacy Organizations


Children and Screens, Institute of Digital Media and Child Development-https://www.childrenandscreens.org
The Institute’s mission is grounded in four pillars: advance and support interdisciplinary research, inform and educate the public, influence sound public policy for child health and wellness, and enhance human capital in the field. These pillars are interconnected, and all are driven by research.

Healthy Screen Habits -https://healthyscreenhabits.org
"Our mission is to empower families to create healthy habits for screen use, and to maintain technology as a tool– never as a replacement– for human connection." This non-profit organization accomplishes this mission through a multitude of resources provided on their website, through public speaking engagements and other forms of advocacy. 

Phone Free Schools Movement -https://phonefreeschoolsmovement.org
All kids deserve a phone-free school. Provide youth the freedom to excel academically and develop socially without the pressures and harms of phones and social media during the school day.

Wait Until Eighth - https://www.waituntil8th.org/
The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade.

Authors / Journalists

Jonathan Haight, PhD - https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/
Researcher and author of "The Anxious Generation" and founder of the movement to "motivate and empower teens, parents, educators, policymakers, and tech industry leaders to act collectively to free children and adolescents from a childhood spent largely alone on screens, and instead promote independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world."

Jean Twenge, PhD - https://www.jeantwenge.com/
Researcher and author of "Generations" and "iGen" and well known speaker of topics such as: Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for the Future - Parenting today’s super-connected teens -  Understanding and improving GenZ’s mental health -  Teaching the smartphone generation

Educators




Government / Public Policy

Senator Marsha Blackburn, US Senate - https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/
Has been a key sponsor and champion of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), most recently reintroducing it in the 119th Congress (2025-2026) with Senator Richard Blumenthal, requiring platforms to prevent harms to minors like suicide promotion, eating disorders, sexual exploitation, and addictive algorithms, while also supporting legislation addressing child sex trafficking.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, US Senate - https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/
Co-sponsored major federal legislation to protect children online, most notably the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) requiring platforms to prevent harms to minors like suicide promotion, eating disorders, sexual exploitation, and addictive algorithms, while also supporting legislation addressing child sex trafficking. He has also cosponsored updates to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0).


Health Professionals

Given the number of health professionals claiming to treat these issues on their profile (i.e. Psychology Today) , this listing is limited to those that appear to make this work a significant if not majority of their practice and work with children and their families. This is identified through advertising/marketing and their public websites. 

Computer Addiction Treatment Program -https://www.computeraddictiontreatment.com/
Treatment for Tech Addiction -One of the Longest Running Treatment Programs for Screen Addiction Inpatient and Outpatient Programs - Adult and Adolescent.

Newport Academy -https://www.newportacademy.com/our-approach/clinical/device-management
Device Management at Newport Academy..

reSTART -https://www.restartlife.com/program/
Nation’s first and foremost Mental Health treatment program for Video Game Addiction Treatment, Blockchain Gaming, Screen-Time, Internet Gaming, Social Media Use.


Legal Resources

Social Media Addiction. If social media has negatively impacted your child, turn to The Lanier Law Firm to learn about your legal options

.

Parenting Support 



Technology Firms     

Parental Control Applications, Bark Phone and Watch Devices

Gabb -https://gabb.com/
Protect your kids with phones & watches designed just for them.

Manufacturer of personal computers for the prevention and treatment of problematic videogaming, social media, pornography, online gambling and other online screen addictions. 

Nonprofit that builds technology and creates programs to fight child sexual abuse and exploitation online.

Researchers

Jonathan Haight, PhD - https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/

Jean Twenge, PhD -https://www.jeantwenge.com/


Funding the Mission

Children and Screens, Institute of Digital Media and Child Development -https://www.childrenandscreens.org/research-grants/

Search