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NEWS:
APA Panel Issues Recommendations For Adolescent Social Media Use
A presidential panel of the American Psychological Association has issued recommendations for the use of social media by adolescents, noting that while these platforms can promote healthy socialization, their use should be preceded by training in social media literacy to ensure that youth have skills that will maximize the chances for balanced, safe and meaningful experiences.
“Social media is neither inherently harmful nor beneficial to our youth,” said APA President Thema Bryant, PhD. “But because young people mature at different rates, some are more vulnerable than others to the content and features on many social media platforms that science has demonstrated can influence healthy development.
“Just as we require young people to be trained in order to get a driver’s license, our youth need instruction in the safe and healthy use of social media.”
In an effort to provide guidance
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Leisure-Time Physical Activity Is Associated With Better Mental Health Among Adolescents
A recent study led by the University of Eastern Finland suggests that regular leisure-time physical activity, even in small doses, is associated with lower odds of depression, anxiety, chronic stress, and school psychologist visits among Finnish adolescents. However, the relationship between active school transport, i.e., walking or cycling to school, and mental health remains inconclusive. The findings were published in the prestigious Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
Regular physical activity can improve mental health through various pathways, such as increasing the production of “feel-good” hormones, enhancing sleep quality, and boosting self-confidence. While mental health problems are common, few large population-based studies have examined the relationship between physical activity and adolescent mental health. Furthermore, it is currently unknown whether acti
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ASHA and Fairplay Introduce New Bilingual Screen Time Resource for Families of Preschool Children
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Screen Time Action Network at Fairplay today announced the latest resource in their collaborative series that cuts through the clutter of screen time advice for parents and caregivers: Be Tech Wise With Preschoolers!
Specifically designed for families with children ages 3 to 5 years, Be Tech Wise With Preschoolers! covers ways that families can support their child’s budding communication, social–emotional, and learning skills—as well as tips for achieving healthy screen time habits—at a unique and critical point in child development.
“Between 3 and 5 years of age, children are rapidly developing their speech, language, pre-reading and writing, and social skills—all of which prepare them for kindergarten and lay the foundation for long-term school success,” said 2023 ASHA President Robert Augustine, PhD, CCC-SLP. “Activiti
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Weaving a Safety Net
Three years into the pandemic, the threat of COVID-19 itself may be receding, but the nation’s mental health care system is being strained as never before. Substance misuse, depression, overdose deaths, and gun violence are all on the rise. Thirty-seven percent of high school students reported poor mental health during the pandemic, and 44 percent said they felt sad or hopeless in the previous year, according to a 2021 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And that’s on top of the fact that, according a 2009-2019 CDC report, mental health problems and suicidal behaviors among youth had already been increasing before the onset of the pandemic.
Among the hardest hit by the pandemic’s mental health effects were youth from minoritized groups and those with disabilities. Young people from rural areas or low income or immigrant households, as well as those involved
