Throughout the academic year here at BGS, we host a series of parent and carer events to support, inform and enable conversations about issues facing young people today.
This term we welcomed Dr Susie Davies, Founder and CEO of Papaya, a charity focused on supporting families to navigate the digital age with more confidence and less conflict. Papaya, (Parents Against Phone Addiction In Young Adults) provides information and practical tips to empower families to make carefully considered choices about when and how to engage with smartphones and social media. Dr Davies, who is a Bristol GP and BGS parent, delivered her talk to parents and carers of Year 4 to Year 9 children, specifically about smartphone use and screen time within this age group.
Talking to a full theatre, the session covered topics such as the positive impacts of delaying a child’s first smartphone for those that did not already own one, and advice and guidance for those children that already had use of a smartphone.
Some of the highlighted benefits of delaying a child’s first smartphone included improved sleep, improved mental health and self-esteem, less self-comparison to others, improved concentration and focus, stronger connection with their peers and less exposure to harmful content.
Dr Davies suggested; “The later children get a smartphone, the more positive outcomes for their mental health wellbeing. If you can, delay as long as possible. It isn’t always the easiest route to take, but research and experience suggests that it will give more positive results for our young people.”
In an ever-changing and progressive world, digital developments can be challenging to keep up with for busy parents and carers, therefore insight including the impact of chatbots, advertising algorithms on social platforms and the increased use of VPNs was very valuable information.
Rebecca Davies, Deputy Head (Pupil Development) at BGS, said;
"We were delighted to welcome Dr Davies, who has such a wealth of experience as a parent of teenagers, and who, as a Bristol GP sees teens struggling with problematic use of smartphones in her surgery on a daily basis.
"It was especially interesting to hear her urge to wait for smartphones until a young person is at least 14 years old; and the range of alternatives to smartphones that are now available. She also gave some practical and useful advice on how to manage devices at home which I see causing so many parents difficulties and affecting some young people very negatively.”
The session also offered support for parents and carers whose children currently own and use smartphones, highlighting on some practical ways to help reduce or maintain a healthy relationship with their smartphone and devices.
Top tips included:
- considering the range of alternatives to smartphones - such as 'dumb' phones and semi-smartphones (more info on this is available at: papayaparents/resources)
- delaying the introduction of social media apps and platforms until 14
- creating screen-free spaces within the home, particularly device-free bedrooms
- investing in an effective parental control software
- agreeing parameters with other parents to maintain similar boundaries amongst peer groups.
Alongside updates on the current trends, Dr Davies presented some informed, thought-provoking statistics around mental health linked to social media use, and the social validation that is associated with their usage. Dr Davies discussed how the ‘comparison culture’ which stems from social media can be navigated by parents and carers, particularly when it comes to educating children on the two-dimensional nature of social content and emphasising the importance of real life (IRL) relationships.
Rebecca Davies continued;
"Dr Davies urged all of us to do something to limit our dependence on devices, as parents, carers and role models to young people, whether it is to break that Duolingo streak, keep devices out of bedrooms overnight or commit to device free dinner times. We can all do more to recognise the impact that smartphones and devices that builds up over time.”
To conclude, Dr Davies took a selection of questions from the audience and posed a series of challenges to parents and carers to pledge one thing they could alter about their device use to help us model the relationship we want young people to have with technology - to feel empowered by it, rather than beholden to it.