A recent article in The Atlantic, written by Jean M. Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, painted a bleak statistical picture of the “iPhone” generation – basically pre-teens and teens, as does her recent book on the subject.  Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening with kids today since the debut of the iPhone, much of which is drawn from data collected by Monitoring the Future:

  • Less going out without their parents.
  • Less likely to get at least 7 hours of sleep: By 2015, 41% of teens failed to get at least 7 hours of sleep nightly, up from 34% in 2007.
  • Nearly 1 in 4 teens admits to being online “almost constantly”.
  • More likely to feel lonely: In 2015 nearly 1 in 3 teens said they felt lonely, up from 1 in 5 in 2007.

Almost 9 in 10 teens have smartphones now, and they use them.  According to a study by the Pew research center, the typical teen in 2015 sent and received about 30 texts per day, versus none in 2007.  More than 7 in 10 teens use multiple social network platforms.

What’s the addiction to smartphones?

All humans learned to survive by monitoring any changes in their environment.  Social networks change every second of every day.  It’s easy to see how teens (and adults, let’s face it) can’t help feeling that they’re missing out if not constantly monitoring various social platforms.

Teens may be “super-connected” but are they “communicating”?  Their increasing feelings of loneliness suggest that they’re not.

Disturbing thought: kids can now be “socially” active without leaving their homes, without leaving their rooms, and even without leaving their beds.  Nothing physical required for this “social activity” except thumbs in motion. Even if they do physical activity in school, the more they’re using their smartphones, the more they’re essentially at bedrest.

What does this have to do with health?

A lot.  Staying at home more, going out less, feeling lonely, and getting less sleep, are all negative trends for developing teens. Add that to the lack of physical activity that’s enabled by this online, sedentary life, and it doesn’t bode well for their health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, all kids ages 6-17 years should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Nationally, only 1 in 4 said they met this goal in 2015, according to CDC statistics.  Nearly 3 in 10 did as recently as 2011.  That also means 75% of teens are not active enough.

Former Surgeon General David Satcher, in his 2001 landmark “Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight And Obesity”, emphasized more physical activity, but also “fewer sedentary activities.”  That means an hour of exercise followed by 23 hours of laying around, doesn’t cut it.

Back to school is a perfect time to build a better routine, one that gives teens a lifestyle that’s not only healthier, but happier.  If feelings of loneliness are increasing, they often go hand-in-hand with low self-esteem, already too common in teens.  Behavior changes that help shift self-esteem positively deserve some attention.

Calories and Social Media Time: 2 Things to Spend Wisely

Here are three big triggers for mindless eating: feeling lonely, being tired, and staring at any screen.  If your teen thinks a smartphone is an umbilical cord to the world, cutting it off seems tyrannical and isn’t necessary.  Still, these tips can help them towards healthier behaviors, positive attitudes, and lead them to healthier eating:

  • Media diet: NEVER at the table and insist the meal last 30 minutes. Family dinners aren’t just about food, they’re about communicating and connecting.  If this requires some getting used to, it’s a red flag that it’s overdue.
  • Kitchen help. Assign them some part of the meal prep – it builds responsibility but it also keeps them off the smartphone a little longer.  If it’s preparing part of the meal, give them some freedom to make decisions about what vegetable to cook or what ingredients to include in the salad.
  • TELL THEM YOU APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DID and mean it. There’s never been a better motivator than that.
  • Keep ALL “screen time” to a max of 2 hours daily, but also support non-screen activities that interest them.
  • Shut down all media (and snacking) at least an hour before bedtime. Two hours is even better.

Silver lining: by 2015 teens were also far less likely to have a driver’s license and have sex than were teens in 2007 – but there have to be better ways to prevent driving accidents and teen sex than keeping them home, hypnotized by a screen!