NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There's a little over a month and a half left of summer, and some families are working to create better habits at home, specifically focusing on mental health.
While kids aren't in the classroom, it can be a challenge for some families to establish good routines when it comes to screen time.
A recent study of more than 6,000 youth found that "adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media may be at heightened risk for mental health problems" like anxiety and depression.
Doctors said it's important for parents to check in, especially now during the summer when social media usage may increase.
The benefits can really be remarkable. Doctors said it can lead to better relationships between parents and their teens and better face-to-face communication.
While experts said there are benefits to the online world, the recent surgeon's general advisory warns that the nation is in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis. It said social media is an important driver of that, and doctors urge it's something that must be addressed.
Erlanger Turner - Clinical Psychologist, Creator, Therapy for Black Kids
"being able to remove yourself from these devices, allows more time for you to socialize and engage in more human-to-human interaction," clinical psychologist Erlanger Turner said.
"Dance, engaging with the art, whatever your family and your teen enjoy. Making time for those things can be another way to create spaces where you're sort of replacing the use of technology with some other type of activity."
Parents said they've done everything from summer camps, creating hobbies, and making everyday chores a competition to get their kids away from the screen.
