Back-to-school survey shows 1 in 2 Boston parents worry about child’s mental health

BOSTON — A new back-to-school survey is revealing just how many Boston parents are concerned about their child’s mental health.

Business research company Deloitte Insights surveyed 416 Boston parents between May 26 and June 14. Nearly half — 48 percent — said they are concerned about their child’s mental health. Twenty-three percent said smartphones have complicated their child’s life, according to Deloitte.

The survey also revealed two startling numbers: 57 percent of Boston parents would have preferred to delay their child’s use of a smartphone, while 42 percent said “societal pressures” played a part in when their child received a smartphone. Both percentages are well above the national average, the results show.

“I have 19, 18, and 14 year old children. The longer you can delay the cell phone, in particular social media, I think the better,” said Evan Sheehan, a Global Retail, Wholesale and Distribution Sector Leader with Deloitte. Sheehan believes children, especially teens, are still grappling with the lingering effects of the pandemic.

“I think it put a lot of stress and pressure on them that they didn’t normally have,” Sheehan said. “It made them grow up a little sooner, so I do think we’re seeing the direct effects of that on young people’s mental health right now.”

The U.S. Surgeon General offered advice for parents in a 2023 “Social Media and Youth Mental Health” advisory report. The suggestions include:

Create a family media plan- include topics such as balancing screen/online time, content boundaries, and not disclosing personal information
Create tech-free zones- encourage in-person friendships and consider restricting the use of devices during family mealtimes and at least one hour before bedtime
Model responsible social media- Set a good example of what responsible and healthy social media use looks like by limiting your own use and modeling positive behavior on your social media accounts

The Mass. Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education does not offer guidance on cell phone use in schools. However, DESE Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley warned about the negative effects of phones and social media in a May 17 memo to local school administrators.

“In addition to the distraction from teaching, learning, and student engagement, research shows that cell phone use and social media have contributed negatively to mental health and poor sleep habits in teens. This has been exacerbated by the unprecedented growth in cellphone and social media use during the pandemic,” Riley wrote.

Newton mom Katy Karon said she and her husband set ground rules when they gave their 13-year-old son a cell phone two years ago. Karon said her son has time limits and she reads all his messages every week.

“He is not on Facebook. He does not have Instagram. He did just recently get Snapchat,” Karon said. “For us, we haven’t had to broach those kinds of subjects yet because he has been very responsible, but it is in the back of our minds.”

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