Between pandemic restrictions and screen time, one thing is clear: The kids are not OK

As the pandemic finally wanes, it’s important to realize what we, collectively, did wrong so we don’t repeat the same mistakes should something similar happen again — because it likely will.

When federal, state and local governments unilaterally decided to lock down, among those hardest hit emotionally were teenagers. Two years later, we can objectively say: The kids are not OK.

Depending on the source, statistics show that suicide is the second or third cause of death among teenagers. More teens die by their own hand then are killed by gun violence, contrary to narratives liberals often push to jump start conversations or even new policy on gun control. In Texas, about 290 teenagers died by suicide from 2017 to 2019, slightly above the national average. Between 2019 and 2021, there was a 50% increase in girls being admitted to the hospital for suspected suicide attempts.

A team of researchers, in a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics, found that teens accounted for a larger share “of all suicides in 2020 — 6.5%— than they did during the five previous years, 5.9%.” Suicide rates and depression among teens ramped up during the pandemic, especially in states where lockdowns were severe and stringent, like California, New Jersey, and Virginia.

“Across the country we have witnessed dramatic increases in Emergency Department visits for all mental health emergencies including suspected suicide attempts,” the American Academy of Pediatrics said last October. An Atlantic piece found “objective measures of anxiety and depression — such as eating disorders, self-harming behavior, and teen suicides — are sharply up over the past decade.”

In states that shuttered schools for a year or more, required masks and roped off public spaces where teens hang out, the pandemic added to stressors such as remote learning, social isolation and economic burdens on their parents.

The pandemic isn’t the only thing pushing kids towards depression and even suicide, statistics show teenagers have been struggling for over a decade. For the last 12 years, the share of American high-school students who say they feel “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” rose from a quarter to nearly half, a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

From 2013 to 2019, 1 in 5 teenagers in the U.S. had experienced some depression, according to the CDC. From 2007 to 2018, suicide rates among people ages 10 to 24 increased by 57 percent.

Many experts suggest there is a link between the rise of social media use and teenage depression. (The first iPhone was released in 2007.) Not only did social media use among everyone increase during the pandemic, but studies show that rather than helping adults or teens feel connected, social media exacerbates feelings of loneliness, isolation, competence, and low self-worth.

In The Atlantic, Jean M. Twenge, a researcher who has been studying generational differences for 25 years, noted a survey that studied teens and their phone time.

“The results could not be clearer: Teens who spend more time than average on screen activities are more likely to be unhappy, and those who spend more time than average on non screen activities are more likely to be happy,” Twenge wrote.

It’s difficult to police a child’s onscreen time. None of mine have social media, and it’s still hard. Many parents are working full-time, juggling multiple responsibilities or children — how much a child is on his phone or what he’s doing is often the least of their concerns.

For two years, COVID-19 made it even worse. Many parents were trying to work from home, encourage their kids to do virtual school, and somehow keep the bills paid, the house orderly, and everyone’s needs met. Phone use seemed ephemeral; sadness or depression present in a child might have been chalked up to seasons.

But there’s a huge cost. Schools, including high schools, should not be afraid to restrict kids’ phone use during the day — same with parents when their kids are home. I’ve noticed if I’m not vigilant, my kids’ use creeps up.

Now that the pandemic is waning, let’s send our teens outside and to therapy and encourage them to get together in person with their friends. Parents: Ask your teens how they’re really doing — and be prepared to seek professional help if the answer is unsettling.

If we’re ever tempted to lock down again and shutter schools, let these statistics be a sobering reminder.

This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 5:05 AM.