A Manchester teacher of almost 20 years has shared the 'surprisingly clear' signs that a child is spending too much time on social media. Lee Parkinson, known online as ICT with Mr P, says the signs of excessive use of social media platforms are obvious to those working with youngsters and they're far from beneficial.
Five signs of excessive social media use
Parkinson, who teaches at Davyhulme Primary School in Urmston, Trafford, has teamed up with Smartphone Free Childhood, a grassroots parent movement helping families delay smartphones and social media for their children. He shared his own experience from the classroom and says 'it's a pattern I know some of my teacher friends have noticed as well'.
"I've been a teacher now for nearly 20 years and I think I can spot in children the ones who have unlimited access to social media," said Lee, who posts videos about the profession on his ICT with Mr P platforms.
"Not screens necessarily, because like yeah, excessive screen time is a massive problem, but as I always say, not all screen time is equal, there's a world of difference between a child creating something with a screen and a child mindlessly scrolling for hours."
Signs include lack of resilience and empathy
Parkinson observed that children with unlimited unfiltered access to social media tend not to value education as much, with everything seeming boring compared to the dopamine filled algorithms they're addicted to. He also noted their attention span has gone, making it almost impossible for them to sit with anything for a sustained period of time without getting that instant dopamine hit.
"They really struggle with their imagination. They never get the chance to create the picture in their own head, because it's all there on a screen, already. When every idea is already pre made and given to you, the muscle that makes your own stuff up, it doesn't get used," he said.
He also highlighted worrying behaviour such as children quoting and repeating things they've seen online. "You've got like seven year olds talking about their own skincare routine because these algorithms find moments of vulnerability and target them with makeup ads, beauty products, weight loss supplements," he said.
Parkinson identified a lack of resilience as one of the biggest signs, describing a learned helplessness and no willingness to sit and struggle because nothing on social media has ever made them struggle. He also pointed to a lack of empathy, with everything coming back to the child themselves.
Children not to blame
Asking followers whether the signs sound familiar, Parkinson stressed that children are not to blame. "I want to make it absolutely crystal clear, I'm not putting any of the blame on the children," he said. "I've just feel sorry that we've stripped them of the chance of a safer happier childhood and replaced it with platforms designed to hack their attention and change their behaviour."
His post received hundreds of comments from people, some of them parents saying their children face peer pressure to be on social media and many of them educators saying they have witnessed the same.
One commenter said: "I work in a nursery school and have done so for 20 years. Children have all altered since the advent of iPads and iPhones because they’re either playing on one or being ignored by an adult on one. Every aspect of early development is being impacted by it, social skills, communication, ability to play and create games and imaginary stories, holding a real life pen, mealtime skills, physical skills, eyesight, knowledge of the natural world… read Professor Sam Wass’ work around the way developing brains are affected, it’s both fascinating and deeply concerning."
Another commented: "You're describing 70% of the kids we teach and it's terrifying."
Parent Pact initiative
One of the main ways that Smartphone Free Childhood helps families delay phones and social media is via the Parent Pact, which allows families at the same school to see that they’re not alone in wanting to wait, and to make that choice together. Across Greater Manchester, 4,419 families have now signed the pact, spanning 413 schools.
Daisy Greenwell, co-founder and director of Smartphone Free Childhood, said: "Teachers see first-hand what smartphones and social media are doing to children. Many have watched the change happen over just a few years in the classroom."
"The good news is that people are waking up – and this is something we can change. If families come together to delay smartphones and social media, we can give children more time to play, get bored, fall out and make up, and work out who they are before an algorithm starts doing it for them. That’s where confidence, resilience and real-world social skills grow. Delaying a smartphone gives children more time to develop the skills they’ll rely on for the rest of their lives."
