In an effort to combat the negative impact of smart devices on young people, a charity called CyberSafeKids urged families to embark on a 24-hour ‘CyberBreak’ starting at 5 p.m. on Friday and ending at 5 p.m. on Saturday. New research conducted by the charity revealed alarming statistics concerning the influence of smart devices on children.
The study, which took a survey of over 5,000 primary and secondary school-aged children, found that almost one-third of 12 to 16-year-olds have difficulty disconnecting from games and apps. Surprisingly, 17% of eight-year-olds confessed to “wasting time online,” and this figure skyrockets to nearly 70% by the age of 16.
CyberSafeKids CEO, Alex Cooney, expressed concern, especially for teenage girls, who reported feeling more negatively about their online experiences. She noted that girls using social media at that age were more prone to feelings of jealousy, marking a divergence between girls and boys concerning their online experiences.
The ‘CyberBreak’ initiative seeks to encourage families to step back from screens and consider the potential consequences of excessive digital exposure on their children’s well-being.