Parents say teens are more stressed, admit snooping online
If you feel like your teen is constantly tapping away on his or her cell phone or staring at the white light from a tablet, they are.
Today parents are faced with the tug-of-war of raising teenagers who increasingly look to their devices as stress relievers, but are also experiencing more stress from the increasing number of social channels available to them, according to the WebMD Teens and Stress Consumer Survey released today.
“Screen time is so overwhelmingly powerful in our lives,” Hansa Bhargava, a pediatrician, and WebMD editor said. “It takes away time from other things – exercise, friendship, communication, hanging with family.”
More than half of parents surveyed (55%) rated their child’s stress as moderate to high, according to the report, which was released alongside a three-part WebMd video that examines what is being done to tackle the high levels of stress American teens are experiencing.
Teenage boys and girls are dealing with stress in different ways, according to Bhargava.
The survey found 57% of parents reported their daughters turn to texting and social media to reduce stress, compared to 38% of teen boys. The report, which surveyed 576 parents with teenagers ages 13-15, found that teen girls also experience more stress from their online social networks.
“Girls can feel cut out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,” Bhargava said. If you aren’t getting a lot of texts or notifications you feel left out of the group, which can contribute to feeling depressed.”
As teens turn to texting and social media, so have individuals working to solve high levels of stress American teens are experiencing.
In the WebMD video series, Soledad O’Brien speaks to the counselors behind the Crisis Text Line, an around the clock interventional hotline for teens in crisis.
“Teens are so honest via text, they will cut right to the heart of what is bothering them,” Sara Luchian, a Crisis Text Line counselor told O’Brien.
Parents are also turning to their teenager’s digital devices to keep an eye on their teens, according to the report.
The survey found that four out of ten parents reported looking at their child’s phone calls or text messages, and 35% said they have checked the websites their teen has visited. The “big brother” style of parenting may be contributing to increased levels of stress, according to the report.
Fifty-two percent of parents reported they advise their teens on appropriate web use, and 30% said they restrict device use before bed.
Article Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/nation-now/2016/04/13/webmd-report-american-teen-stress-parents-report/82978030/
Image Source: http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/932b193afacd4e9c195b46d9a95a20aa68a5aa91/c=42-0-684-483&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2016/04/13/USATODAY/USATODAY/635961416070501872-ThinkstockPhotos-450746339.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Tackle (v.) ~ make determined efforts to deal with (a problem or difficult task)
2. Cut out (idiom) ~ to eliminate someone or something
3. Intervene (v.) ~ come between so as to prevent or alter a result or course of events
4. Restrict (v.) ~ put a limit on keep under control
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSIONS:
1. What do you think are the main causes of stress on Korean teenagers?
2. Do you think that the teenagers nowadays are more stressed than in your time? Discuss your answer.
3. According to the article, girls are usually more stressed than boys. Why do you think is that?
4. In your opinion, is it OK for parents to snoop around on the social media acｃounts of their children? Explain your answer.
