Using technology is a part of our teens’ everyday lives. From mobile devices for social media to school computers to gaming systems at home, there is rarely a time during the day when teens don’t have access to some form of technology. And in 2020 as the world continues to deal with a global pandemic, many teens are attending school virtually and are spending more time than ever in front of a screen. Technology can be a wonderful thing that connects the world and provides an endless sea of knowledge at our fingertips, but for many teens, technology use can spiral into something unhealthy. The truth is, as prevalent as technology is in our world, most teens can benefit from some structure and boundaries around their technology use.
Dangers of Technology Addiction
An unhealthy relationship with technology can lead to a variety of issues both physical and emotional. Spending an excessive amount of time using technology like social media and gaming has been linked to anxiety and depression in teens and as well as lower levels of physical activity. Understanding the dangers tied to the overuse of technology paints a clear picture of the importance of creating a healthy balance for tech use in your teen’s life.
Creating a Healthy Balance for Your Teen
- Create Boundaries: Setting boundaries and creating a schedule around technology use is the first step in creating a healthy balance for your teen. When teens have access to their devices at all hours of the day, the temptation to use them may be too great for them to resist. It is important to schedule some tech-free time in your teen’s routine. For example, if you know that your teen is prone to spending late nights scrolling through social media, which leads them to be exhausted the next time, consider making a rule that there are no phones in the bedroom after 11pm. You can keep the charging cords in the living room and their phone can charge overnight while your teen recharges as well.
- Set a Good Example: It can be challenging to tell your teen that they need to spend less time on their devices when we are equally glued to our phones. Make sure that there is time in the day when the entire family unplugs. This can be as simple as turning off phones during dinner time.
- Get Involved: Show your teen what healthy time with technology looks like by getting involved in their tech experiences. If they’re all about Minecraft, let them teach you how to use the game. You will be able to vet the content their accessing as well as bonding through a shared experience.
Red Mountain Colorado Can Help
Red Mountain Colorado was founded to help struggling teens work through behavioral and emotional challenges. We specialize in the treatment of trauma-related mental health challenges. Throughout programming, we empower teens to build healthy coping skills and habits that they can use to work through the challenges they face.
When a teen struggles with emotional and behavioral issues like depression or anxiety and has at least one other mental health condition present, we call this a dual diagnosis disorder (also known as a co-occurring condition). Our program is structured to treat issues like trauma and depression as well as dual diagnosis disorders. When your teen arrives at our treatment facility, our staff will assess if there are any underlying mental health symptoms. With these learnings, we take an integrated approach to create a path to psychosocial wellness. For more information please call (877) 302-5022.