Today, digital media is a given in the lives of children and young people. A survey by the Swedish Media Council shows that children and young people spend an average of three hours per day on social media. At the same time, figures from the Public Health Agency of Sweden (Folkhälsomyndigheten) show that mental health disorders in children and young people, especially girls, have risen dramatically during recent decades, as use of social media has risen.
Dr Nutley is a doctor of cognitive neuroscience and a researcher linked to the Karolinska Institute. She is passionate about raising the general public’s understanding of how the brain works. Dr Nutley is active within Our Brain and Emotions (Det syns inte), an organisation that works with schools to support preventive and health-promoting initiatives for the well-being of children and young people. After defending her doctoral thesis in 2011 on changes in the cognitive capabilities of children who play computer games, she specialised in the mouldability of the brain under the influence of social media, which led to her book “Distraherad – hjärnan, skärmen och krafterna bakom” (Eng: Distracted – the brain, the screen and the powers that lie behind).
Parents release control once children turn 12
Dr Nutley has also participated in a study carried out on behalf of the Swedish Media Council into the effects of digital media on the health of children and young people. The study encompassed some 2,000 students aged 13 to 19 years.
“The results show that 80 per cent of our children and youngsters do not exercise enough, 75 per cent sleep for less than eight hours per night, 60 per cent do not talk about difficult matters, 80 per cent are on their mobile phones while doing homework, and 65 per cent spend more than four hours a day on their mobile phones,” she says.
“These are worrying numbers. Our studies show that parents often have rules on screen time for children up to the age of 12, but once they are older the parents stop controlling them. A growing number of youngsters, especially fragile girls struggling with mental health issues, spend six hours or more per day on their mobile phones.
“It is obvious that it then becomes difficult for them to fulfil other basic needs, such as exercising, brain rest and making physical contacts,” continues Dr Nutley.
One significant problem is that children and young people get too little sleep today – which creates a downward spiral of difficulties concentrating, irritability and constant fatigue.
“Children go to bed too late, more and more sleep six hours or less, and many take their mobile phones to bed. When negative thoughts arise, they pick up their phones and it becomes even harder for them to sleep,” says Dr Nutley.
A change in behaviour is essential
To break the downward spiral that over-consumption of digital media leads to in children and young people, a change in behaviour is required – and according to Dr Nutley, achieving this requires both schools and parents to do their part.
“One good approach is to agree that common rules are to be introduced for everybody in, say, a particular year – and that all the parents ensure these rules are observed. Young people we’ve spoken to say that they are aware that they don’t feel well after being on their mobile phones a lot, and that they wish their parents would limit them – because they themselves don’t have the strength to break the addiction.
“It’s important to talk to children about how they are affected and why it’s important to limit consumption. It also requires us to be good role-models. In other words, it’s up to us as adults to take greater responsibility,” says Dr Nutley.