More Than One Out of Every Two Parents Is Worried about their Little Child’s Development

A poll of 2,000 parents – of children who are 5 and younger – reveals that 59% are concerned about their child’s academic and character development.  It’s on its way to two out of three…

These concerns include whether or not children will play fairly with others (59%), communicate well with others (49%) and express themselves in a healthy way (47%).

Parents also listed challenges they face, when it comes to supporting their children’s development.  These include creating a routine (38%), teaching positive behaviors (30 percent), planning activities (25%), providing a consistent environment (23%) and building early literacy and math skills (23%).

“In the first five years of a child’s life, parents have an opportunity to maximize the power and potential of this critical time,” said Dr. Amy Jackson, chief early learning strategy officer at Primrose Schools.

And, these children came into the world while it was on lockdown, a very different kind of environment from what most of us encountered as littles.

Plus, use of high-tech smart devices (particularly too much “screen time“) is literally re-mapping their little brains, and not in a good way.  (Learn more, here:  swnsdigital)

MEANWHILE…

A year after it issued a health advisory regarding young people and social media use, the American Psychological Association has dropped a new report, calling some social media platforms designs “inherently unsafe for children.”

The organization begins, “By early 2024, few meaningful changes to social media platforms had been enacted by industry, and no federal policies had been adopted… There remains a need for social media companies to make fundamental changes to their platforms.”

At issue, kids being kids — and how that’s a bad thing when it comes to socials.

The APA says, “Youth require special protection due to areas of competence or vulnerability as they progress through the childhood, teenage, and late adolescent years.  This is especially true for youth experiencing psychological, physical, intellectual, mental health, or other developmental challenges.”

Further, its experts explain, “Brain development starting at ages 10–13 (i.e., the outset of puberty) until approximately the mid-twenties is linked with hypersensitivity to social feedback/stimuli.  In other words, youth become especially invested in behaviors that will help them get personalized feedback, praise, or attention from peers.”

The report continues, “Likes and follower counts activate neural regions that trigger repetitive behavior, and thus may exert greater influence on youths’ attitudes and behavior than among adults,” adding that using likes and follower counts “capitalizes on youths’ vulnerabilities and likely leads to problematic use.”

Also, “AI-recommended content has the potential to be especially influential and hard to resist within this age range,” the experts warn.

Adolescents have “poor impulse control,” which not only makes them susceptible to “endless scrolling” but also “self-harm” – which can be triggered by social media, and even online predators who prey on their need for validation and likes.