RICHMOND, Va. — As students head back to school, a Richmond-area doctor is encouraging parents to think twice before giving young children their own devices.
Dr. Morgan Cheatham, a pediatric emergency physician at Chippenham and Johnston-Willis hospitals, recommends delaying when children receive their first cell phone.
"If you haven't introduced a cell phone to your middle school student or elementary school student, wait as long as you can. The longer you can wait, the better," Cheatham said.
She also strongly cautions against allowing children unrestricted access to social media platforms.
"I really believe strongly that keeping our kids off of social media is really important to helping their mental health," she said. "A lot of research is out there that shows that [stress, anxiety] is connected to time spent on social media platforms, access to screens, and cell phones."
According to Cheatham, there are significant emotional and social differences between age groups.
Elementary students typically deal with simpler interactions, such as emotional regulation during playdates, while middle and high schoolers face more complex social dynamics, including hormonal changes and academic pressures.
These concerns align with recent findings from Pew Research, which reports that 40% of parents are very worried their children will struggle with anxiety and depression at some point. Additionally, one-third of U.S. parents with children under 18 say they are extremely or very worried about potential bullying.
Cheatham emphasizes the importance of creating judgment-free communication channels with children, including texting.
"Life gets busy, and especially with school starting back and activities and sports time can just get away from you, so put something on the calendar to check in with your kid after a few weeks and say, 'How's it going?'" Cheatham said.
The pediatrician also suggests helping children identify trusted adults they can talk to if they don't feel comfortable sharing with their parents.
"Do you feel comfortable talking to your school counselor? Do you feel comfortable talking to your pediatrician? Is there another family member, a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle, that you have a relationship where you feel safe talking with them about these emotions, because it may not always be the parent that a kid feels comfortable opening up to," Cheatham said.
She believes that recognizing and addressing signs of stress and anxiety early can significantly contribute to a happier, healthier school year for students.
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