Page 28 - aruba-today-20190608

A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 8 June 2019
Schools reckon with social stress: 'I'm on my phone so much'

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — High "That kind of awareness of
school biology teacher other people's lives, even
Kelly Chavis knew smart- maybe what used to be
phones were a distraction considered other people's
in her class. But not even private lives, is kind of hyper
her students realized the right now," Doyle said. "And
psychological toll of their I don't think that usually
devices until an in-class ex- leaves most people feeling
periment that, of course, good, because nobody's
was then spreading on so- perfect and most kids feel
cial media. very imperfect."
For one class period, stu- But putting the genie back
dents used a whiteboard in the bottle isn't easy. In
to tally, in real time, every Illinois, Glenbrook High
Snapchat, Instagram, text, Schools District 225 experi-
call or other notification mented with limiting teens'
that popped up. Students access to their grades on a
were told not to respond to digital portal. But for every
avoid generating replies ... student who said the grade
and further notifications. book caused them anxi-
Teachers around the coun- ety, there was another who
try have run similar experi- said losing regular access
ments, typically recording created even more stress,
dozens of trips to the board. In this March 13, 2014, file photo, Hartselle High School students Lissa Blagburn and Brantlee Wright said instructional innova-
"One girl, just during the use an iPhone as they work on a networked lesson in Spanish class in Hartselle, Ala. tion director Ryan Bretag.
one hour, got close to 150 Associated Press Some students simply ap-
Snapchat notifications. pear overwhelmed by non-
150!" marveled Chavis, ogy professor at San Diego Researchers are still argu- and Wait Until 8th discour- stop social-media notifica-
who teaches honors-level State who has studied the ing whether phones drive age cellphones in middle tions during the school day.
courses at Rock Hill Schools issue, said it's no coinci- student depression or de- school. "It becomes an anxiety —
in South Carolina. dence that youth mental pression drives phone use. When she first got a smart- 'well, if I don't answer them
She's among a growing health issues have risen But 70 percent of teens phone around seventh back right now I'm missing
number of teachers, par- with the number of phones. view anxiety and depres- grade, all the posting, mes- something,'" said Troy, Mis-
ents, medical profession- "What a lot of teens told sion as major problems saging and liking pushed souri, high school teacher
als and researchers con- me is that social media and among their peers , ac- Nia Coates' anxiety level to Elizabeth Utterback. Fresh-
vinced that smartphones their phones feel manda- cording to a February Pew "probably a 10," she said. men are particularly sus-
are now playing a major tory," she said, leading to Research Center report. Now a high school junior, ceptible, she said. Her own
role in accelerating student a loss of sleep and face-to- Nearly 60 percent of par- the Buffalo, New York, teen class tallying experiment
anxiety — a trend so perva- face interactions necessary ents said they worry about has figured out to manage netted 80 notifications
sive that a National Educa- for their mental well-being. the influence of social me- the distractions. among 20 students in less
tion Association newsletter Last year, an editorial in dia on their child's physical She'll completely log out of than 30 minutes.
labelled anxiety a "mental the American Academy of and mental health in the her Snapchat, Instagram "I definitely feel stress with
health tsunami ." Pediatrics' flagship journal American Psychological and Twitter, and some- online profiles, social me-
Testing, extracurricular- recommended that doc- Association's 2017 Stress in times will delete an app dia, to keep up, maintain
packed schedules, and tors ask adolescent pa- America survey . altogether for a while. "The my profiles and stuff," said
perpetual stressors like pov- tients about their social me- Schools are starting to re- older I've gotten, the more Emily Mogavero, a 17-year-
erty can all weigh on stu- dia use as part of routine act. Many districts now hire I realize it doesn't really old student in Buffalo, New
dents. But research now screening, alongside older outside companies to mon- matter so it's not as stress- York. "It kind of worries me
points to smartphones-driv- questions about home life itor students' social media ful," Coates said, recalling that I'm on my phone so
en social media as one of and drug and sexual ac- postings for signs of distress. how in the past she'd post much." Mogavero said she
the biggest drivers of stress. tivity. "Aberrant and/or Others invite in yoga in- something only to delete it sometimes puts her phone
After all, that's where col- excessive social media us- structors and comfort dogs to avoid being judged. out of reach or powers it
lege acceptance letters fill age may contribute to the to teach even the young- Anxiety has taken over as down so she doesn't hear
Instagram, everyone knows development of mental est kids to keep technol- the most significant obsta- notifications.
where everyone else is go- health disturbance in at- ogy from putting them on cle to learning among Chris Teaching limits at an ear-
ing for spring break, and risk teenagers, such as feel- edge. Doyle's high school students lier age might help. Deir-
athletic failures and awk- ings of isolation, depressive Belfast Area High School at Avon Old Farms School dre Birmingham of Mont-
ward social moments can symptoms, and anxiety," in Maine even staged an in Connecticut. Some rack clair, New Jersey, signed
live forever. three researchers wrote in #unplugged event day up absences because they onto a campaign called
Jean Twenge, a psychol- the journal Pediatrics. in April — but it served to feel overwhelmed by the "Wait Until Eighth" because
underline the technology's day ahead, Doyle said. she didn't think her video
pull when less than 20 per- A teacher for 30 years, game-loving 10-year-old
cent of students and staff he has seen a profound son was ready to manage
took part. shift toward constant self- a smartphone's pull.
Meanwhile, students and evaluation that he asso- The idea, which got its start
parents are filling school ciates with social media, in Texas two years ago, is to
auditoriums for screenings YouTube, and even school lessen the peer pressure of
of documentaries such as grade portals sometimes being the only kid without a
"LIKE " and "Angst ," which checked dozens of times a phone by enlisting parents
explore social media, tech- day — things students have of classmates to agree to
nology and anxiety. Move- never before had to man- hold off until at least eighth
ments like Away for the Day age. grade. q