According to a survey, children and teenagers in America are using screens and social media more than ever before, dramatically increasing the amount of time spent online. There has been a rise of 17% in the last two years. Average daily screen time increased for teens (ages 13 to 17) to eight hours and 39 minutes from seven hours and 22 minutes, and for tweens (ages 8 to 12) to five hours and 33 minutes from four hours and 44 minutes (ages 13 to 18).

The major reason for an increase in the numbers is the pandemic and the problems families face with school, child care, and social engagement. A rise in social media use among children aged 8 to 12 on websites like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook is of particular concern to those who monitor screen time, even though such websites require users to be at least 13 due to a law that forbids businesses from collecting data from children.

Although technology use increased across the board, screen use was highest among children from low-income families and children of color as these families were most affected by the pandemic. They may also have participated in fewer after-school activities during the pandemic, leaving them at home with extra screen time. Parents in these families may have spent less time at home since low-wage workers were more likely than other workers to be forced to work in person.

Besides the low-income families, the boys were found to spend more time on screens than girls, possibly due to their preference for time-consuming video games. According to experts, the rise in screen use isn't always a cause for alarm. For instance, it was probably a good thing when children used screens to communicate with friends during the pandemic. 

However, the matter of concern was that teenagers were spending more than three hours daily on average watching movies or TV and almost two hours daily playing video games, but just 20 minutes daily video chatting with pals. While children were spending so much time in front of devices, they were missing the activities that are good for them, like sleep, family time, reading, chores, and so on.

The very existence of children under 13 utilizing social media is concerning as social media sites frequently feature disturbing and graphic information that is inappropriate for young children. The risk of children running across pornographic material, depictions of self-harm, or posts that encourage disordered eating increases with the increase in the use of social media.

Another issue is the prevalence of false information on social media sites like YouTube. A small youngster has no concept of the difference between reality and fiction. Therefore, they may get lost in this maze of false information and discover a very perplexing world before them. 

Parents might majorly influence their children's decision to cut back on screen usage. They can ask their children to evaluate the time they spend on the screen on their own. Then, they could ask them to come up with the 25 activities that one could do without any screen. The parents can even treat them with screen time after their children have completed their chores. 

Parents are advised to sit down with their children and make a technological agreement with specifics like when, where, and how long children are permitted to use screens. They can ensure that the smaller children can only watch YouTube in their presence. They should also only let younger children use apps that are easier for them to control, like Netflix or Disney+, when they are using screens alone.

The most crucial thing for parents to do is to routinely talk to their children about screens, social media, and the value of privacy. They could attempt to use screens with their children whenever possible. Adults have the chance to express their expectations and values with their children when they use platforms.