By GREGORY ZELLER //
School mobile-phone bans and tighter restrictions on social media content proved popular in the latest Mount Sinai South Nassau Truth in Medicine Poll
The poll – the second of 2024 and 21st overall produced by the Oceanside-based Long Island flagship hospital of New York City’s Mount Sinai Health System – finds nearly three-quarters of respondents (72 percent) want their children to carry a cellphone or smartphone to school in case of emergency.
But 77 percent of respondents also say they support banning mobile phone use during the school day – and a whopping 85 percent of polled parents say they support new state laws limiting social media feeds for minors.
With 58 percent of respondents noting at least one child with a mobile phone and society largely ignoring American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations of two hours of recreational screen time per day for children ages 6 to 17, the issue has become a hot national debate – with excessive screen time among children and adults linked to everything from sleep deprivation to daily tantrums to chronic health problems.
Adhi Sharma: Mitigating risks.
It was also a worthy topic for the latest Truth in Medicine Poll, which was conducted by phone Aug. 1 through Aug. 5 and solicited responses from 600 Long Island and New York City parents with at least one child under the age of 18.
Mount Sinai South Nassau President Adhi Sharma applauded both fresh data on the growing healthcare concern and better-informed opportunities to do something about it.
“Excessive screen time and social media use can have detrimental effects on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of children and adults,” Sharma said Tuesday, when he joined a panel of healthcare and education experts at Optimum headquarters in Bethpage to discuss the new poll.
“The home and school are crucial environments,” the president noted. “We can mitigate these risks and establish guidelines that foster creative, productive and socially constructive use of screen time – while emphasizing hobbies, indoor and outdoor pursuits and face-to-face interactions.”
As Sharma referenced, children are not the only ones at risk – and according to the new poll, excessive screen time might be compounded by old-fashioned denial in many adults.
Only 31 percent of responding parents agreed they spend too much time exploring social media on their mobile phones, even though 52 percent of respondents confessed to five or more hours of social media use per day.
Long watch: Island youth lead the region in daily screen time. (Source: Mount Sinai South Nassau)
One-third of those heavy users admitted they may be addicted to their phones – but only 9 percent said they felt their excessive phone use was hurting their relationships.
Not only is it likely hurting their relationships, it’s setting a terrible example for younger generations, according to Mount Sinai South Nassau Department of Medicine Chairman Aaron Glatt.
“An array of studies show that excessive social media use can be a distraction to parents, reducing their engagement with their children and impacting effective communication between parent and child,” Glatt added. “As a result, their children pick up on their habits, which exacerbate many of the harmful and dangerous issues presented by inappropriate and abusive use of social media platforms.”
With standards like YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok reported as the leading social media distractions, parents took a hardline stance on the responsibilities of social media platforms: An impressive 82 percent said social media companies should do more to limit children’s app use.
Linda Armyn: Actionable data.
A sturdy 68 percent of respondents also said they believed existing parental controls for their children’s social media use are effective – but a lion’s share still expressed concerns about school safety in the smartphone age, with only 65 percent of parents of children ages 14-17 (and 73 percent of parents overall) saying they believe their kids’ school is safe.
Albany is recognizing trends and listening to these concerns – in June, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the first laws in the nation regulating social media algorithms to protect kids – but more real-world information about usage patterns, school bans, expert recommendations and other factors related to cellphone use is needed.
And that makes tools like the Truth in Medicine Poll, sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, and Tuesday’s expert panel discussion, supported by the Long Island Association, absolutely indispensable, according to BFCU President and CEO Linda Armyn.
“This poll … provides practical, insightful and actionable health education and awareness,” Armyn, also co-chair of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council, said in a statement. “Throughout its extensive and admirable tradition of excellence in healthcare, Mount Sinai South Nassau has taken every action necessary to advance the overall health, wellness and quality of life of the communities it serves.”
