A recent study of the University of California at the University of San Francisco indicates that some types of risk for some types of technical use may lead to high risk of developing pre-teens manic symptoms.
Published in the Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Journal, the study analyzed a nationwide sample of 9,243 children in the US between 10 and 11 years.
The youth associated with social media, texting, video and video games were “self-esteem, sleep, distracted, rapid speech, racing ideas and impulsions likely to be more likely to be more likely to be more likely-characteristic of mannequin episodes, a major feature of bipolar-spectrum disorders,” a press release “noted.
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Kyl Ganson, a co-author of the University of Toronto University-Inventash Faculty of Social Work, said, “This study quickly underlines the importance of farming to healthy screen usage habits.”
“Future research can help us understand behavior and brain mechanism better, which are going to connect the use of screen with manic symptoms to help inform the prevention and intervention efforts.”
Excessive use of social media, texting, video and video games by some age youth was associated with high risk of mental health issues in a recent study. (Georgiology/ISTOCK)
Tips for safe use from experts
To mark the global day of unplugging (March 7), Verizon hosted his first “Digital Wellness Summit” in New York City, which to share insight with the public about the safe use of technology.
Somyanarayan Sampat, CEO of Verizon Consumer Group, discussed the importance of establishing digital boundaries especially for children.
,Digital welfare Should be for all ages, but in reality we need a new blueprint as a parents, as we have never been before, “Sumump said in the incident in Big Apple.
“There is a healthy relationship that people can be.”
“This digital age is new to all of us. There is no time in history. We can recover how we handle it.”
In a separate interview with Fox News Digital, Sampat shared compelling figures on the use of the phone, including Verizon’s 2024 Consumer Connection Report.
The report has revealed that children and teenagers use social media four to five hours a day and get 250 and 275 per day.
Somanarayan Sampat, CEO of Verizon Consumer Group, is shown on the right, on March 6, 2025 at the Verizon Digital Wellness Summit in New York City. On the left, actor and talk-show host Drew Barrymore. (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
The children were also found to touch and take their phone about 150 times per day.
A quarter of these incidents occurred during the school hours.
Sampat said, “It instigated us to think that there is a healthy relationship.”
Effect of tech on children
Dr. Kennesha Sinklair-Macbrid, also spoke in a psychologist at the Children’s Hospital in Boston and also spoke in a panel at the Verizon event at Harvard Medical School, and also in a follow-up interview with Fox News Digital.
The expert said that children spending “hours and hours” of their free time on their phone may be “problematic”, especially the possibility that they would experience dangers such as cyberbulling and hatred speech.
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“We know that they are associated with symptoms of depression and other mental health concerns,” he said.
“We also know that social connections are very positive for learning and fun, so we have to balance those two things.”
He said that some social media apps are “designed to get stuck” through the loop of an algorithm.
Socialization with others can have a positive effect on children’s mood, experts suggested. (Istock)
This problematic use can lead to poor functioning in work or school and can negatively affect sleep and relationships, the Sinklair-Macbrid warned.
“Are they capable of living their lives and they do things they want and need to do them in a positive way? If any of those areas have concerns, it is usually some needs that need to be convinced.”
Parents, grandparents signal for grandparents
Sinklair-Maikbrid encouraged parents and grandparents to learn about the apps that are using children and teach them to be the “important consumer” of materials by training them to detect scams, misinformation or AI-related materials.
He said, “Slow and distract more thoughtful and distraction about what you are doing, I think, the first step in modeling that is a parents,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Parents can also see their own use and (ask), ‘Am I too much on my phone? Am I also addicted to social media?” ,
The CEO also urged adults to determine the boundaries involving phone use, whether limited to some places in the house or specific time of day.
“When you do things in real life, you feel happy.” (Istock)
‘Make space to have fun’
Sampath shared simple advice for families to ensure technical use and unplugged activities to ensure a healthy balance.
“Get for a film. Go for a walk. Go and play a game or just walk with friends. Or simply walk with your family in your kitchen and do fun things,” he suggested.
“I think children are going to be comfortable to do nothing … reading a book, just walking out,” he said.
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“Children will find a more comfortable way to do so – this is part of a healthy range, and it is part of a good relationship with technology.”
Sampat encouraged Americans to take advantage of living in areas with “some of the best seasons” and “the best natural places in the world” and to grow more by searching for external places.
“The time of spending people with digital technology needs to be balanced with real -life items, whether it is sports, art, creative activities, reading or real hands, tangible things.” (Istock)
“You want to make a place to have fun. You want to make a place to play. You want to make a place to do physical activity, to have a real relationship,” he said.
“This is a long -term benefit on mental health … when you do things in real life, you feel happy.”
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The Sinklair-Macbrid resonated the advice of exiting and “touching the grass”.
“People who spend time with digital technology need to be balanced with real -life accessories, whether it is sports, art, creative activities, reading or real hands, tangible things,” he said.
Experts advocated more time to detect tangible activities and hobbies instead of defaulting children for digital. (Istock)
“I think people are in this mindset that this generation only wants to do digital, digital, digital,” he said.
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“They still like other items. We have to give them options, location and freedom for that time.”
