Children's Mental Health in a Pandemic-Altered World: Technology's Evolving Role.

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social NetworkingVol. 26, No. 1 EditorialFree AccessChildren's Mental Health in a Pandemic-Altered World: Technology's Evolving RoleBrenda K. WiederholdBrenda K. WiederholdBrenda K. Wiederhold, Editor-in-Chief Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:17 Jan 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2022.29264.editorialAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail According to journalist Hodding Carter, a wise woman once told him there are only two things parents can hope to give their children: “roots and wings.”1 Roots give children guidance and a sense of belonging; wings help them soar and thrive on their own.For parents around the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic presented unexpected and unprecedented challenges. Teaching children concepts such as social distancing, masking, and remote learning changed what it meant to be a parent. All the while, stress and anxiety have increased among youth since the pandemic ushered in the “new normal.” And a constant barrage of new stressors, such as snapshots from the war in Ukraine and the effects of economic strain, have only added to the weight on the shoulders of children. However, there are ways to help promote resiliency in a generation of children who are growing up in an environment that's anything but typical.Many of the mental health problems facing young people existed at a base level well before March 2020. But the burdens of quarantining, physical isolation, lack of opportunities to socialize, and living in fear of a disease that's claimed the lives of more than 1 million Americans have taken both emotional and behavioral tolls on children.2 According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, one in four youth are experiencing clinically elevated depression symptoms, and one in five are experiencing anxiety.3 At younger ages, the stress of the pandemic led to disruptions in sleep, toileting, and feeding, along with the potential for becoming more irritable or socially withdrawn. And for kids with special health care needs, interrupted access to medical, educational, and/or mental health services can increase stress not only on an individual but the family as a whole.With parents and caregivers facing their own set of stressors, including maintaining financial security in uncertain times, children may struggle to process their experiences due to a lack of emotional availability and a nurturing, supportive environment. The degree of difficulty is even higher for the more than 140,000 children in the United States who have lost a primary or secondary caregiver to COVID-19—a traumatic event that unfortunately has both short- and long-term mental health consequences.Although the pandemic created unforeseen issues and magnified existing ones, there are ways to combat its lasting negative impact on child mental health. This dynamic, multi-step process begins with building a predictable home environment.4 According to a study published in Neurobiology of Stress, establishing routines, such as eating dinner together as a family or having regular play time after work, has a protective, positive effect on children. Creating structure provides stability for children who live in a period that feels structureless; parents can help their children find comfort in predictable events such as going to bed around the same time or having dedicated family time. Structure also opens the door to direct communication by providing quality time for interactions between family members. In this way, families can become more resilient together by focusing on controllable factors.Because children may be apt to internalize their struggles, fears, and questions concerning the pandemic and other stressful situations, we need to be willing to access all available resources to support their emotional needs. To start, behavioral and mental health observation and evidence-based screenings should be integrated into every medical office visit. Rather than avoiding conversations about feelings in an effort to protect children, parents and caregivers need to help children understand how to express and process their feelings in a healthy way. A conversation with a doctor may help a child get the assistance they need, such as a referral to a therapist or other mental health resources.Technology can offer progressive tools that support mental health—but it must be treated responsibly. A study conducted on behalf of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table revealed that increased screen time was associated with decreased physical activity, eye strain, headaches, and reported symptoms of depression and anxiety in children and youth.5 Nevertheless, we should not interpret this to mean children should surrender their screens entirely. Children today will become the digital citizens of tomorrow, which means they must learn how to use technology effectively.In terms of resilience, technology facilitates the access of telehealth and telemental health resources. Smartphone and tablet apps such as Headspace and Smiling Mind have been shown to support positive mental health and well-being for kids. Headspace offers 11 meditation options for children and families, ranging from simple breathing sessions to visualization exercises, which teach kids about openness, generosity, and gratitude. Meanwhile, Smiling Mind offers three age-specific care packs designed to help children develop greater awareness of their emotions, reduce emotional reactivity and anxiety, and promote emotional regulation skills.In addition to meditation-based apps, today's tech-forward world offers another intriguing educational tool for kids: the metaverse. Blending virtual and live environments into a “third space” offers unique opportunities for collaboration, critical thinking, and creative innovation.6 The metaverse has the potential to provide children with an interconnected, immersive pathway for learning, especially with rapid advancements in virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. However, parents must play a role in determining what environments their children explore. Developers carry the responsibility of designing games and activities that are engaging and meaningful, but there are still warranted concerns about social interactions and the lack of cultural diversity and inclusivity in this space.When it comes to screen time, it's important to strike a balance between active engagement and passive viewing. The screen time conversation must also cover the potential pitfalls of cyberbullying, contact with strangers online, and ways to communicate problems when they occur. Parental monitoring apps are helpful in this regard—platforms such as Bark, Canopy, and BrightCanary provide parents with the means to identify when their children are consuming problematic or even dangerous content. This identification can spur important conversations about personal boundaries, screen time, and proper technology usage. Social media use is associated with worse mental health outcomes, but these strategies can help children better understand the benefits and risks of the screen-based world in which they live.Overall, bringing technology into the home is just one of many hurdles involved in raising a child during a pandemic-altered era. Combine that with the challenges of learning in a remote setting, not having consistent social interaction, and a potentially problematic home environment, and it's easy to see why levels of anxiety and stress have risen.As most children have transitioned back to regular school hours, it may not be as easy for parents to detect the warning signs of mental health issues as they begin to spend less time with their kids. This lack of time together places greater emphasis on quality communication and checking in with a child when everyone is home. But in the classroom, teachers are on the front lines, and they play a role in supporting children's mental health. In light of the pandemic, some school districts began training teachers to recognize and address mental health changes before they become long-term problems. This training should become standard practice, as well as providing schools with on-site psychologists and counselors.For example, if a child used to be outgoing with other classmates but is now more withdrawn or was formerly social but is now antisocial, the teacher is in a position to detect this change in behavior, which can indicate a mental health issue. In terms of anxiety, there may not be obvious physical signs, such as foot tapping or stomachaches. Instead, young students may become irritable or lose focus or interest in what's happening in the classroom. Both weight gain and loss can indicate depression, as can a child who used to laugh frequently but no longer finds things funny. Plus, children who tend to be clean and tidy that now appear unkempt may also be struggling with depression or problems at home. And if they were active in sports or activities but are now withdrawn, this may be a sign of a mental health issue.The pandemic age has also paved the way for moving social-emotional learning (SEL) to the front burner, especially for teachers. SEL is the process through which we acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, and achieve personal and collective goals. It also drives how children feel and show empathy, establish, and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. Research shows that an education that promotes SEL has a positive impact on a range of outcomes, such as mental wellness and academic performance.7 Part of that success comes from SEL's collaborative model; it offers a powerful means to support each other by fostering empathy, resilience, and relationship building.In the end, our children deserve more of our collective attention than ever before. Addressing a child's mental health and well-being early on is not just the responsibility of the teacher, the school counselor, or the parent. It's a collaborative effort that entrusts each stakeholder to provide support that can help kids overcome, adapt, and grow on multiple levels. This support helps a child find not only their roots but also their wings—that is, a resiliency that sets them up for mental success in the post-pandemic world.References1. Carter H. (1953) It's how we like it. In Where Main Street meets the river. New York: Rinehart, pp. 330–339. Google Scholar2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trends in number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the US reported to CDC, by state/territory. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_dailydeaths (accessed Dec. 10, 2022). Google Scholar3. American Academy of Pediatrics. Interim guidance on supporting the emotional and behavioral health needs of children, adolescents, and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/interim-guidance-on-supporting-the-emotional-and-behavioral-health-needs-of-children-adolescents-and-families-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/ (accessed Dec. 10, 2022). Google Scholar4. Glynn L, Davis E, Luby J, et al. A predictable home environment may protect child mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neurobiology of Stress 2021; 14:100291. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar5. Toombs E, Mushquash CJ, Mah L, et al. Increased screen time for children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Science Briefs of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. https://covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/increased-screen-time-for-children-and-youth-during-the-covid-19-pandemic (accessed Dec. 10, 2022). Google Scholar6. Hirsh-Pasek K, Zosh J, Shwe Hadani H, et al. A whole new world: education meets the metaverse. https://www.brookings.edu/research/a-whole-new-world-education-meets-the-metaverse/ (accessed Dec. 10, 2022). Google Scholar7. CASEL. Fundamentals of SEL. https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/ (accessed Dec. 10, 2022). Google ScholarFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 26Issue 1Jan 2023 InformationCopyright 2023, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishersTo cite this article:Brenda K. Wiederhold.Children's Mental Health in a Pandemic-Altered World: Technology's Evolving Role.Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.Jan 2023.1-2.http://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2022.29264.editorialPublished in Volume: 26 Issue 1: January 17, 2023PDF download